Music: Giacomo Puccini Libretto: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa Revival Direction: Jonathan Cocker Conductor: Stuart Stratford Reviewer: Dominic Corr Puccini’s melodramatic masterpiece Tosca has it all; corruption, lust, heartbreak and the bureaucracy of history. Shifting the timeframe into the 20th century, there is still a stringent root to Puccini’s origins in 1900. Practically flawless in execution, Tosca moves beyond a ...
Read More »Tag Archives: Scottish Opera
25 Live: The Big Birthday Show – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Director: Cat Sheridan Reviewer: Dominic Corr For 25 Live: The Big Birthday Show, this isn’t about the comings and goings of glitzy statement productions, this is about community. The community which has been with the Theatre, and its predecessor the Empire Theatre for 25 years and more. For as much as this may be a birthday celebration for the Festival ...
Read More »The Magic Flute – Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder translation Kit Hesketh-Harvey Conductor: Tobias Ringborg Director: Sir Thomas Allen Designer: Simon Higlett Lighting: Mark Jonathan Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys Set in a steampunk landscape inspired by H.G. Wells and Jules Verne: a wicked queen, a handsome prince, a damsel in distress, high priests, a comedy side-kick, magical instruments, a serpent and some sorcerers ...
Read More »Scottish Opera: Rigoletto – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Librettist: Francesco Maria Piave Director: Matthew Richardson Conductor: Rumon Gamba Reviewer: Dominic Corr Seduction, tangled with an overbearing father all play a part in the turmoil of Rigoletto, the hunchbacked jester. The 1851 libretto opera has been revived by the Scottish Opera following Matthew Richardson’s 2011 production. Now, fully escaping its historical censorship, Rigoletto can serve to ...
Read More »NEWS: Scottish Opera’s much-loved Pop-Up Opera on tour this summer
Scottish Opera’s Pop-up Opera is back on the road from May 2018, with three shows for audiences of all ages: A Little Bit of HMS Pinafore, A Little Bit of Eugene Onegin and Be A Sport, Spike!, which has been commissioned by Festival 2018, the cultural programme of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships. Performed in Scottish Opera’s fully accessible travelling ...
Read More »The Devil Inside – Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
Composer: Stuart Macrae Libretto: Louise Welsh Conductor: Michael Rafferty Director: Matthew Richardson Reviewer: Ron Simpson Co-commissioned by Music Theatre Wales and Scottish Opera, The Devil Inside received its premiere performance in Glasgow in January to an overwhelmingly favourable response from reviewers. Now it is on a short UK tour with Music Theatre Wales. The Devil Inside is inspired by one ...
Read More »NEWS: Scottish Opera Announce a Vibrant New Season
Scottish Opera has announced details of its vibrant new season, showcasing seven powerful operas featuring drama, romance, fairy-tale and comedy. Welcoming back a host of talented cast and creatives from recent years alongside some exciting new faces, and spanning four centuries in four languages, the season features ten shows, two world premieres, six new productions and 111 performances in 46 ...
Read More »Il trovatore – Theatre Royal, Glasgow
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Libretto: Salvadore Cammarano based on the play El trovador by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez Conductor: Tobias Ringborg Director: Martin Lloyd-Evans Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys The great Caruso famously stated: “all it takes for a successful performance of Il trovatore is the four greatest singers in the world”, and it must be acknowledged that it is a brave company indeed ...
Read More »