Butterfly brings a flutter of excitement to the Fringe

By David Smythe, 25 August 2015

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Reviewed at St Andrew's and St George's Church, Edinburgh on 24 August 2015

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Opera Bohemia

John Wilkie, Director

Melanie Gowie, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Cheryl Forbes, Suzuki

Alistair Digges, Pinkerton

Douglas Nairn, Sharpless

Barry McAleer, Goro

Gordon Cree, Piano

Gongbo Jiang, Violin

A fun-packed Falstaff from Opera Bohemia

David Smythe, 23rd August

Opera Bohemia provides a fun-filled showcase for Conservatoire graduates in a finely sung Falstaff heading for the Edinburgh Fringe with a small orchestra.

****1

Gianni Schicchi delights the Edinburgh Fringe

David Smythe, 20th August

Opera Bohemia bring the boisterous tale of Gianni Schicchi to the Edinburgh Fringe in a fun-filled hour of musical delight.

****1

Trapped in a vice: Il segreto di Susanna and Pagliacci at OHP

Dominic Lowe, 17th July

Joining OHP's 2019 production of Wolf-Ferrari's charming domestic comedy, a blazing new production of Pagliacci delivers everything that one could want from Leoncavallo's infamous opera.

*****

Wolf-Ferrari entertains, Tchaikovsky bewitches at Holland Park

David Karlin, 22nd July

Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna provides an airy bon-bouche to Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, brilliantly sung by Natalya Romaniw and David Butt Philip and conducted to fairy-tale perfection by Sian Edwards

***11

Chiaroscuro extinguished: a self-indulgent Poppea in Copenhagen

Mengguang Huang, 26th April

Christoph Marthaler’s staging of Monteverdi’s Poppea for the Royal Danish Opera is a study in boredom.

**111

Romeo Castellucci directs a new Pelléas et Mélisande at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 26th April

The Italian director makes his long-awaited Italian operatic debut at the Teatro alla Scala in a production which perfectly mirrors Debussy’s most enigmatic creation.

****1

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David Smythe

David the farmer was drawn into music through choirs, orchestras, taking part in and directing 'serious' opera as a student. Passionate about live classical music, particularly chamber opera, unusual pieces and events and giving the next generation the tools to engage with the classical world.

Opera Bohemia’s Butterfly brings a flutter of excitement to the Fringe