Hurrell's Cleopatra reigns in English Touring Opera's Giulio Cesare

By Kevin W Ng, 09 March 2020

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“devastatingly vulnerable and daring in her pianissimo high notes”

Reviewed at Hackney Empire, London on 7 March 2020

Handel, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, (Julius Caesar in Egypt) HWV 17

English Touring Opera

Jonathan Peter Kenny, Conductor

James Conway, Director

Cordelia Chisholm, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Clint van der Linde, Giulio Cesare

Timothy Morgan, Giulio Cesare

Susanna Hurrell, Cleopatra

Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Tolomeo

Ann Taylor, Cornelia

Kitty Whately, Sesto

Edward Hawkins, Achilla

Alexander Simpson, Nireno

Bradley Travis, Curio

Mark Howland, Lighting Designer

Old Street Band

Art imitates art in ETO’s bracing new Pagliacci

Dominic Lowe, 10th April

Divorced from Cavalleria rusticana, English Touring Opera’s contemporary take on Leoncavallo’s masterpiece ticks all the boxes.

****1

English Touring Opera transfers Donizetti to the English coast

Dominic Lowe, 27th September

L'elisir d'amore may not immediately bring Skegness or Romney to mind, but ETO's new production works quite well there... just look out for the seagulls!

***11

Blissful and hard-boiled: I Capuleti e i Montecchi at ETO

David Karlin, 22nd February

Eloise Lally shifts the Romeo and Juliet love story into New York mafia families. Jessica Cale and Samantha Price provide blissful bel canto as the star-crossed lovers.

****1

A tender Shakespeare-inspired curio from English Touring Opera

Susannah Moody, 15th February

ETO kicks off its spring season with What Dreams May Come, a strange and moving staging of songs inspired by William Shakespeare.

***11

Theatrically poverty-stricken: ETO's Blond Eckbert

Mark Valencia, 18th October

Judith Weir's cryptic folk opera lacks the narrative propulsion necessary to enthral an audience, and without resolution there is no catharsis.

**111

ETO's The Snowmaiden melts the heart and gladdens the ears

Dominic Lowe, 28th September

Olivia Fuchs' production of Rimsky-Korsakov's charming fable for ETO begins its tour in Hackney and is worth travelling to see. Catch this thoughtful production in a town near you.

****1

More reviews...

Kevin W Ng

Kevin writes about music and culture, with a focus on opera. Originally trained as a violinist, he has a particular interest in 20th-century music. He is currently based in New York City.

Susanna Hurrell's Queen Cleopatra reigns in English Touring Opera's Giulio Cesare