Never judge an album by its cover: Last Days premieres at the ROH

Agathe Rousselle (Blake)

Patricia Auchterlonie (Superfan)

Agathe Rousselle (Blake)

Agathe Rousselle (Blake) and Sion Goronwy (Groundskeeper)

By Mark Valencia, 09 October 2022

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“a triumphantly confident composition”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House: Linbury Theatre, London on 7 October 2022

Leith, Last Days

The Royal Opera

Jack Sheen, Conductor

Matt Copson, Director

Grace Smart, Set Designer

Balenciaga, Costume Designer

Prema Mehta, Lighting Designer

12 Ensemble

Anna Morrissey, Director

Agathe Rousselle, Blake

Mimi Doulton, Delivery Driver / Housemate

Patricia Auchterlonie, Superfan

Kate Howden, Mormon / Housemate

Seumas Begg, Mormon / Housemate

Edmund Danon, Housemate

Sion Goronwy, Groundskeeper / Private Investigator

Henry Jenkinson, Magician

Caroline Polachek, Soprano

George Barton, Percussion

Siwan Rhys, Piano

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Mark Pullinger, 29th January

The second revival of Richard Jones' staging of Mussorgsky's original 1869 version of Boris Godunov once again stars the Welsh knight.

****1

Ermonela Jaho returns in triumph to The Royal Opera’s Traviata

Mark Valencia, 8th January

Richard Eyre’s 32-year-old production is rarely out of The Royal Opera’s repertoire for more than a few months at a time, but this particular revival proves very special.

*****

Turandot drowned in an orchestral tsunami at The Royal Opera

David Karlin, 15th December

Andrei Șerban’s 40 year old take on Puccini's tale of the ice princess largely stands the test of time, but Netrebko and Eyvazov are short of their best form.

***11

More reviews...

Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.

Never judge an album by its cover: Last Days premieres at the Linbury Theatre