A silvery Dream lost among the shadows

By Mark Pullinger, 12 June 2017

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“petals unfurl... and a spider's web is strung with pearls of dew”

Reviewed at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Snape on 11 June 2017

Britten, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Ryan Wigglesworth, Conductor

Netia Jones, Director

Iestyn Davies, Oberon

Sophie Bevan, Tytania

Matthew Rose, Bottom

Eleanor Dennis, Helena

Clare Presland, Hermia

Leah-Marian Jones, Hippolyta

Lawrence Wiliford, Flute

Nick Pritchard, Lysander

Nicholas Sharratt, Snout

George Humphreys, Demetrius

Simon Butteriss, Starveling

Andrew Shore, Quince

Sion Goronwy, Snug

Clive Bayley, Theseus

Jack Lansbury, Puck

Elliot Harding-Smith, Boy soprano

Ewan Cacace, Boy soprano

Adam Warne, Boy soprano

Noah Lucas, Boy soprano

Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra

Irish National Opera’s new Rusalka intrigues more than it convinces

Andrew Larkin, 22nd March

Netia Jones’ modern reimagining intrigues more than it convinces, but still makes a strong case for Dvořák’s dark fairy tale.

***11

Netia Jones directs Pinchgut Opera in a well-oiled Fairy Queen

Jeremy Eccles, 7th June

A rare 17th-century English Baroque spectacular, designed to delight the Restoration crowd, is given a contemporary twist in Sydney.

****1

Garsington Opera's new A Midsummer Night's Dream

Roy Westbrook, 16th June

In the first and last acts, ladies entered with a train still attached to a bolt of cloth, which was then cut to length by an attendant. Was this production brought to the stage in a great hurry, allowing no time for costume fittings?

***11

Irish National Opera’s Least like the other at the Linbury

David Karlin, 15th January

Brian Irvine and Netia Jones pull no punches in telling the story of Rosemary Kennedy, sister of JFK and Bobby, left permanently disabled by a lobotomy at the age of 23

****1

Truth and Wisdom: a searching Zauberflöte at Garsington

Mark Pullinger, 31st May

A twist on the usual Enlightenment path, this is an admirable production, excellently executed.

****1

A staged Messiah that sheds little light on Handel's oratorio

Mark Valencia, 1st June

Netia Jones is a visionary stage practitioner, but this show is a rare misjudgement.

***11

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

A silvery Dream lost among the shadows: Britten at the Aldeburgh Festival