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Showing 9 of 9 reviews

Utopia, Limited proves surprisingly timely in rare Scottish Opera revival

By David Smythe, 20 October 2021

A semi-staged concert that boasts strong musical performances and appealing production values makes a spirited case for reappraising Gilbert and Sullivan's penultimate collaboration.

****1

****1

Glasgow

21 Oct 2021

Scottish Opera revives Gilbert and Sullivan's timely Utopia, Limited

By David Smythe

Glasgow

Scottish Opera's spectacular Gondoliers bump starts its new season

By David Smythe, 16 October 2021

Stuart Maunder directs a lavishly costumed cast, Derek Clark conducts fine playing and singing and Isabel Baquero’s choreography sparkles.

****1

****1

Glasgow

17 Oct 2021

Scottish Opera's spectacular Gondoliers bump starts its new season

By David Smythe

Glasgow

Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artists sign off with a live-streamed recital

By David Smythe, 23 July 2020

Charlie Drummond, Heather Ireson, Arthur Bruce and Mark Nathan shine in a truly live-streamed recital from Glasgow.

Glasgow

24 Jul 2020

Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artists sign off with a live stream

By David Smythe

Glasgow

Unfulfilled potential in Philip Glass' The Trial

By Gregor Forbes, 24 January 2017

Scottish Opera’s production of Philip Glass and Christopher Hampton's The Trial says less about Kafka’s vision of an absurd world and more about the absurdity of contemporary operatic conventions.

**111

**111

Glasgow

26 Jan 2017

Unfulfilled potential in Philip Glass' The Trial

By Gregor Forbes

Glasgow

Scottish Opera’s Mikado: A Victorian variety show on Japanese Night

By David Smythe, 07 May 2016

Martin Lloyd Evans returns to Scottish Opera direct a visually rich and lively Mikado. Richard Suart is a veteran Ko-Ko with no-one safe from his Little List as it changes for every performance.

***11

***11

Glasgow

09 May 2016

A Victorian variety show on Japanese Night

By David Smythe

Glasgow

Mavra and The Bear: Russian Tales delight at RCS Opera Studio

By David Smythe, 27 February 2016

Two Russian Tales: Stravinsky’s Mavra and Walton’s The Bear are an unexpected glittering delight at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Opera Studio in Glasgow.

****1

****1

Glasgow

28 Feb 2016

Russian Tales delight at RCS Opera Studio

By David Smythe

Edinburgh

A Butterfly fit for the Commonweath Games

By David Smythe, 08 May 2014

Scottish Opera revives Sir David McVicar's Madama Butterfly. It still looks wonderful. The music, players and singers tell the harrowing story magnificently.

****1

****1

Edinburgh

09 May 2014

A Butterfly fit for the Commonweath Games

By David Smythe

Glasgow

A Fine Pocket-Sized Macbeth from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe, 22 March 2014

The most Scottish of operas, Verdi's Macbeth, makes big demands on its soloists and is packed with choruses, so it was interesting to see how Scottish Opera's production managed with only seven singers and a chamber orchestra.

****1

****1

Glasgow

24 Mar 2014

A Fine Pocket-Sized Macbeth from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

Glasgow

Pirates of Penzance set sail from Glasgow

By David Smythe, 18 May 2013

To end the 2012/13 season, Scottish Opera has teamed up with the D’Oyly Carte Company to create a crisp new production of The Pirates of Penzance, which heads off to England and Wales after touring Scotland.

****1

****1

Glasgow

21 May 2013

Pirates of Penzance set sail from Glasgow

By David Smythe