Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (An Ellen Kent Production) – REVIEW

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) – REVIEW

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.

 

Hair (UK tour) – REVIEW

Hair (UK Tour)

New Theatre, Oxford

 

Reviewed by Jade Prince

Seen June 26th, 2019

★★★

Slap bang in the middle of the East Village of New York City in 1967, a tribe of hippies want to let the sun shine in despite the ongoing Vietnam War. Inquisitive minds seeking for a way to change the world and redefining authority by uniting the world with music.

The ‘tribe’ was interesting however joining is not something on the agenda here at Ginger in the Theatre. It is sad to say but love did not strike our heart.

I had big hopes for Hair after its sold-out run at The Vaults in London. Having now seen the show, I’m not really sure what people saw.

The music was great and it is definitely something I will be adding to my Spotify playlist however the whole package lacked the oomph a ‘wild, colourful, sexually liberated and free’ show should have possessed.

The only thing I will be raving about is the harmonies throughout. The cast sounded so dreamy on stage, giving me goosebumps many times. The highlight being towards the end of “Let the Sun Shine In”.

Even writing this now, I am so confused as to what happened in the show. Not due to the plot being complicated but simple because there was no plot. The tiniest bit of storyline I could grasp onto with the tips of my fingers was Claude (Paul Wilkins) being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Apart from that I am still at a loss as to what the plot was. And then to top it off, we had an abrupt ending! I can’t deal with abrupt endings! The whole audience was unsure on whether we were to expect more. There was a strong feeling of disappointment radiating around the auditorium.

From a technical point of view, the sound quality was not great and the music over powered the vocals. This made it really difficult to hear the lyrics resulting in the audience disconnecting from the plot (or what limited plot there was).

To put a positive spin on this review, the set was aesthetically pleasing. It was a lovely touch having the subtle colour change during the ‘trip’ scene at the beginning of act 2. The black light was able to pick up UV colours hidden within set. It was something I wasn’t expecting and also a very cleaver addition to ensure that the actual trip was distinguishable from the already psychedelic reality.

It was a somewhat enjoyable show however I found myself willing the next number on. The dialogue felt unnecessary and did nothing to aid the story. I think I would have preferred just the musical numbers, one after the other.

For more information on the show, tickets and remaining venues on the tour, click here.

Amélie (UK tour) – REVIEW

Amélie

New Theatre, Oxford

 

Reviewed by Jade Prince

Seen June 18th, 2019

★★★★★

Amélie, a musical derived from the much loved 2001 film of the same title, presents the story of a young lady who although appears quiet , has an imagination louder than words. Spending her life providing fellow Parisians with happiness through her small acts of kindness, she soon discovers it is time to work on herself and allow her heart to speak when love comes knocking.

The Parisian vibe immediately seeped into my blood, warmed my heart and I fell in love. It provided a sensation I have never experienced…maybe it was the feeling of actually falling in love! My heart skipped a beat numerous times

This show was the full package; whimsical, charming, humorous whilst being filled to the brim with talent and phenomenal stage craft.

I’m not sure where to begin! The set is gorgeous. You see it and immediately you are transported to the hustle and bustle of Paris. This feeling is only amplified when the cast take to the stage.

Although seeming very chaotic to look at with all the additional nick-nacks, the set itself was a simplistic beauty. There were no huge scene changes. Just the movement of some props and dimming of the light. It really didn’t need anything else. It lent itself to provide almost a musical box feel. Seeing the story play out in front of you as if the mechanism was being cranked in the wings. Even the way Amélie was transported around the stage was whimsical!

The tiny Parisian cafe scenes pulled you by the hand down a little alley way into the heart of one of Paris’ up and coming districts. The vivid hum of the busy people outside was only added to with the cast. It was such a stunning choice to have the cast playing their own instruments throughout the show. I obviously had my eyes focused on the stage but I could imagine closing my eyes and being there in the heart of Paris. Buskers surrounding me, playing the beautiful symphony of Paris’ heart beat.

The whole cast were insanely talented (and to me, nailed the French accent) but I do have to draw focus to Audrey Brisson and her breathtaking performance as Amélie. It was such an endearing performance. She played it to the back of the stalls with her facial expressions. Also, such a dreamy voice!

My final fangirl moment for the show was the puppetry. It was seen more in act 1 and it was used for an element I didn’t expect at all. The show is still fairly new in the grand scheme of things. It premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2015. At that stage, and even on broadway, young Amélie was played by a little girl. Since then, it has been switch up slightly in order to replace the child actor with a puppet. It is such a beautiful touch. Another one which works so well for the show! Adding heaps to the storytelling charm and allowing the audience to differentiate between the past and the present.

All in all, Amélie is an outstanding piece of theatre which checks so many boxes. The creative team are doing everything right. On top of all of this mentioned, there is a stunning musical score.

I urge you to see this show as it tours around the UK. You will not be disappointed!

For more information on the show, upcoming venues and tickets, click here.