Theatre through the eyes of a Manc
Played in its entirety, Handel's Alcina is three and a half hours long. Thankfully, Opera North have heavily edited the opera to under three hours in length. However, this doesn't make its complex plot any easier to follow. Like The Tempest, Handel's opera is set on an enchanted island. The island belongs to a sorceress, Alcina,... Continue Reading →
Verdi's Rigoletto features one of opera's most famous pieces of music, 'La Donna e mobile', which is recognisable the world over, even if you've never seen an opera before. Other than that, I knew relatively little about Rigoletto, as I have never watched it before, and I make a rule of never reading the programme... Continue Reading →
Bizet's Carmen is the perfect opera for beginners, because of how familiar the music is. Even those who are completely new to opera will instantly recognise this opera's iconic songs 'Habanera', 'Les Toreadors' and the 'Toreador Song'. Conducted by Antony Hermus, hearing this famous music performed by a live orchestra really is something else. After two years... Continue Reading →
I first watched Trouble in Tahiti when Opera North streamed it over lockdown. They led the way in making opera accessible, by having captioned, BSL interpreted, and audio described performances available for their audience members to watch. It also gave many people a way to try watching opera for the first time for free without having... Continue Reading →
The thing that instantly strikes me about Carmen is how familiar the music is, even though I have never watched this opera before. Even those who are completely new to opera will recognise Bizet's iconic songs 'Habanera', 'Les Toreadors' and the 'Toreador Song'. Under the baton of Garry Walker, hearing this famous music performed by a... Continue Reading →
After the past year, it feels really nice to finally be able to write about what theatre is available to watch across Manchester, as venues are finally allowed to open their doors and allow audiences back inside their auditoriums once more. Although all theatres have to comply with the government's strict social distancing measures, it's... Continue Reading →
March is here. The evenings are getting lighter and it has finally stopped raining! Hopefully it means that spring is on its way. March also heralds the beginning of the new Spring/Summer theatrical season. Many theatres across Manchester have some really exciting work lined up over this season; from brand new musicals to classic revivals.... Continue Reading →
2019 has been quite an eventful year for theatre in Manchester. It has been a year of new beginnings, with Sarah Frankcom stepping down as the Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange, paving the way for Roy Alexander Weise and Bryony Shanahan to put their own stamp on the theatre. This year also saw 53two... Continue Reading →
Originally written over 60 years ago, there is no denying the urgent relevance of Bohuslav Martinů's opera to a contemporary audience. The Greek Passion depicts the plight of refugees in an intolerant society, where they are shunned by the residents of a village. Priest Fotis, who travels with the group, makes a desperate plea for... Continue Reading →
The original composition of Handel's Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar) is nearly four hours long. For this Opera North revival, Tim Albery has revised the music to a more manageable three hours in length. Nevertheless, this is still an epic historical opera that demands a high level of attention and investment from its audience. It is totally... Continue Reading →
THE PLAY'S THE THING 