The Poisoner’s Dilemma: ETO presents a dramatic Lucrezia Borgia

Paula Sides (Lucrezia) and Aidan Edwards (Alfonso)

Thomas Elwin (Gennaro) and Paula Sides (Lucrezia)

Centre: Matthew McKinney (Rustighello) and Jerome Knox (Astolfo)

The brindisi

Katie Coventry (Orsini) and Thomas Elwin (Gennaro)

By David Karlin, 04 March 2023

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“the drama is convincing in every scene and highly potent in many of them”

Reviewed at Hackney Empire, London on 3 March 2023

Donizetti, Lucrezia Borgia

English Touring Opera

Gerry Cornelius, Conductor

Eloise Lally, Director

Adam Wiltshire, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Old Street Band

Paula Sides, Lucrezia Borgia

Thomas Elwin, Gennaro

Katie Coventry, Maffio Orsini

Aidan Edwards, Duke Alfonso

Jerome Knox, Astolfo

Brenton Spiteri, Jeppo Liverotto

Monwabisi Lindi, Oloferno Vitellozzo

Peter Edge, Ascanio Petrucci

Philip Wilcox, Don Apostolo Gazella

Matthew McKinney, Rustighello

Edward Jowle, Gubetta

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

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David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.

The Poisoner’s Dilemma: English Touring Opera presents a dramatic Lucrezia Borgia