UK Opera – Ginger in the Theatre

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (An Ellen Kent Production)

New Theatre, Oxford

Reviewed by Jade Prince

Seen January 25th, 2020

★★★★★

This was stunning. An easy 5 stars!

This was the second night of Ellen Kent’s opera productions at New Theatre in Oxford and I thought I’d enjoy La Bohème more. I was very wrong. La Bohème was enjoyable but Madama Butterfly took my initial thoughts of Ellen Kent’s productions to another level.

Another romantic opera set in the heart of Japan, tells the story of a young Japanese woman who falls in love with a visiting American lieutenant. It’s a heart-breaking romance.

Having seen another Ellen Kent production the night prior, it was clear to see that this production got the bigger budget and more attention. It all worked so wonderfully on stage. The initial teething problems with sound from night one had gone. It was obviously the warm up for this spectacular piece.

It was magical hearing the orchestra in all its glory. The music just radiated through you and sent chills down your spine. But then to have that accompanied by the vocals of the talented cast just heightened the whole experience. That was the vibe I expected from an opera. The cast were not holding back. They really gave their all and the outcome was beautiful.

The emotion was raw. Elena Dee was mesmerising as Cio-Cio San. I’ve heard she’s been working on perfecting her role at the end of the show (no spoilers from me! but you probably know where it’s going) and I have to say…I was blown away. It was so moving. Not only the acting but the pain portrayed in her voice.

I adore how poetic the lyrics are. Being able to read the surtitles was great. As we’re talking about the surtitles, I really enjoyed the variation in speed that people were reading them. There are some point which are quiet funny and some people in the audience were a lot quicker at reading them than others resulting in an echo of chuckles. It just made me realise that everybody was getting their own unique experience. It hit home how subjective opera can be and moves people in different ways.

I can definitely see why this production of Madama Butterfly won the ‘best opera award’ from Liverpool Daily Post Theatre awards. Just like a butterfly, Madama Butterfly was splendid to watch.

The same as La Bohème, Madama Butterfly has just began its tour of the UK with many more dates seeing it through until April 2020. Personally, I highly recommend this piece. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole show.

Click here for more information on upcoming venues and tickets.

Puccini’s La Bohème (An Ellen Kent Production)

New Theatre, Oxford

Reviewed by Jade Prince

Seen January 24th, 2020

★★★★

Arguably one of the most romantic operas ever written, Puccini’s La Bohème sees a young poet and seamstress meet and fall in love. It’s a story of struggles with poverty and health and how this blossoming romance holds under the pressure.

This was a nice production however there were a few things that I could not overlook. I was toying between giving La Bohème three or fours stars. Having now seen another Ellen Kent production, four stars for this is the correct choice. In reflection it would have been far too harsh to give this moving production three stars.

The main purpose of the opera was met. It was vocally beautiful and heartbreaking. It started off rather quiet. There were definitely sound issues. Everything felt a little lost on the stage. The vocals, the acting and the orchestra. Thankfully as the show progressed it started to assert its dominance.

My main critique of the show is how ‘DIY’ it felt. The set and costumes looked so cheap even from a distance. In a way I’m glad we had the surtitles because it distracted from those factors. It’s harsh, I know but it all screamed cheap and very nearly overpowered the show.

Alyona Kistenyova who played Mimi provided endless emotion and constant vocals throughout. She definitely dazzled more in act 1…of 3. The other cast members, although vocally sound, faded into the background. It is a shame but I suppose the opera is all about the music and the voice. These are the main components that carry you on that huge emotional journey. It definitely did that.

All in all, I really enjoyed the evening. I know it seems like a heavily criticised the show. I think for me, an opera is this huge grand experience and unfortunately, this production of La Bohème missed the mark and didn’t match my expectation. Dare I say it felt like a high school production. A good one! But still very much a high school production with a few professional voices dotted through.

This production of La Bohème has just began it’s UK tour and there are plenty of dates left to catch it. More information on upcoming venue and tickets can be found here.