Delius’ The Magic Fountain disappoints at Wexford

Axelle Saint-Cirel (Watana) and Kamohelo Tsotetsi (Wapanacki)

Dominick Valdés Chenes (Solano) and chorus

The Magic Fountain

By Eleanor Knight, 20 October 2025

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“needs a radical rethink if it is ever to make it to the stage again”

Reviewed at National Opera House: O’Reilly Theatre, Wexford on 19 October 2025

Delius, The Magic Fountain

Wexford Festival Opera

Francesco Cilluffo, Conductor

Christopher Luscombe, Director

Simon Higlett, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera

Chorus of Wexford Festival Opera

Dominick Valdés-Chenes, Solano

Axelle Saint-Cirel, Watana

Kamohelo Tsotetsi, Wapanacki

Meilir Jones, Talum Hadjo

Seamus Brady, Spanish sailor

Handel’s Deidamia a triumph for Wexford Festival Opera

Eleanor Knight, 18th October

A rare opportunity to see Handel’s final operatic work, Deidamia, conducted – and staged – by George Petrou at Wexford Festival Opera.

*****

Spanish Civil War Trouvère opens Wexford Festival Opera

Eleanor Knight, 17th October

The 74th Wexford Opera Festival opens with the French revision of Il trovatore that Verdi reforged for the Paris Opera.

***11

Orpha Phelan delivers farcical Donizetti at the Wexford Festival Opera

Andrew Larkin, 20th October

Superlative singing, hilarious antics and an energetic production make Donizetti's Le Convenience ed inconvenience an exhilarating success.

****1

Stanford's hilarious The Critic proves a Wexford knockout

Andrew Larkin, 19th October

Conor Hanratty's humorous production is a triumph from beginning to end, a must see at this year's Wexford Festival.

*****

Mascagni's Le maschere struggles to take flight in Wexford opener

Andrew Larkin, 18th October

Excellent singing, an amusing production and lively staging showcases Mascagni's Le maschere in the best possible light at Wexford Festival Opera.

***11

Erlanger's L'Aube rouge a damp squib at Wexford Festival Opera

Andrew Larkin, 29th October

Erlanger's fractured and clichéd opera isn't helped by confused direction, although soprano Andreea Soare is nothing short of magnificent as the heroine.

**111

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Eleanor Knight

Eleanor is a writer and librettist. Her work has appeared in all kinds of places from the Royal Opera House to the foot tunnels beneath the Elephant and Castle roundabout, and she has written arts reviews and features for British papers and magazines. Having begun her working life in theatre, she switched to publishing and later taught creative writing at the University of Brighton and Birkbeck. Currently based in the Netherlands, she teaches at the University of Utrecht. Eleanor plays violin and sings, though not usually at the same time, and has recently taken up speed-skating.

Fountain of youth reaches retirement: Delius’ The Magic Fountain disappoints at Wexford