la boheme – Ginger in the Theatre

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.

La Bohème

Trafalgar Studios 2, London

Seen on December 14th, 2017

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★

All theatre nerds will know this story as the classic opera which inspired the smash hit musical ‘Rent’. For those unfamiliar with it, La Bohème is an intertwining of addiction and love both set to collide. Which will stand tall at the end? Love? Drugs?

This is a modern take on Puccini’s classic opera which is undeniably timeless. Adam Spreadbury-Maher and Becca Marriott have created a brand new retelling of the story which made me laugh and cry.

I’ve really wanted to see this show for a long time and seeing this brand new adaptation of it was stunning. It is so contemporary. Most certainly not a traditional opera. In my mind, an opera is this huge grand affair which lasts for hours with several acts but this is the complete opposite. I found that really refreshing.

The venue itself is so intimate. The cast don’t use any microphones because they just aren’t needed. I loved the way the intimate venue was used to the performers benefit (but more on that in a short while!)

In this version the first act is very comical. Lots of jokes thrown in referencing recent politics and news. A real bromance is seen between Mark and Ralph. The first act also really showed off the set and lighting creatives’ talent. The lighting (by Nic Farman) was great. The apartment was softly lit with several lamps adding to the soft light. Whereas the next scene in the pub was a harsh chandelier radiating yellow beams with another spot light focused on the area. It was very much the typical pub lighting you would expect. The set was also fabulous, it was distressed and mismatched but it didn’t distract your eye from the performance.

Another highlight of act 1 was the use of the audience during the pub scene. With it being such an intimate venue they really used it well. A lively vibe was created. One you’d expect in a pub during the Christmas period.

The performance itself was kept very simple and the music was also in keeping with this. Throughout the whole show it was just a pianist and cellist playing. Rather beautiful.

One song shorty into act 2 was beautiful to listen to however I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics sung. This was really difficult simply because all four actors were singing at once and no microphones were used so certain voices couldn’t be highlighted at certain times. The four voices were wonderful but when all at once, drowned each other out. As expected act 2 was incredibly emotional and Becca Marriott (Mimi) handled this so well. Mimi is a very difficult character to portray but it seemed to come so naturally to her. The other stand out performer was Honey Rouhani (Musetta). I absolutely adored her performance! She had the most ad-libs in the script as she had so much interaction with audience members during act 1. She was brilliant at this and I loved how she was so comfortable with the character she could strike up conversations with some male ‘prey’ in the audience to pass the time when her dialogue went quiet during the scene. Another thing I must say is that Matthew Kimble (Ralph) can sing to me anytime! His voice! Dreamy!

If I were to describe this show in two words it would have to be ‘powerful’ and ’emotional’

La Bohème is booking until 6th January 2018. This is such a beautiful piece and if you get the chance, do go see it. More information on the show and tickets can be found here: http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/trafalgar-studios/

From The Box Office are doing a great offer currently where you can save up to 50% on tickets: https://www.fromtheboxoffice.com/city/2957-london/43OA-la-boheme/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shows%20-%20London%20Targeted&utm_term=%2Bla%20%2Bboheme%20%2Btrafalgar%20%2Bstudios&utm_content=atg_av%20La%20Boheme%2043OA