Amazing Breaking the Waves: Scottish Opera at the Adelaide Festival

By Brian Angus, 14 March 2020

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“there is no weak spot in this absorbing opera”

Reviewed at Adelaide Festival Centre, Festival Theatre, Adelaide on 13 March 2020

Mazzoli, Breaking the Waves

Scottish Opera

Stuart Stratford, Conductor

Tom Morris, Director

Soutra Gilmour, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Sydney Mancasola, Bess McNeill

Duncan Rock, Jan Nyman

Wallis Giunta, Dodo McNeill

Orla Boylan, Bess' Mother

Elgan Llŷr Thomas, Dr Richardson

Byron Jackson, Terry

Freddie Tong, Church Councilman

Sara Brodie, Revival Director

Richard Howell, Lighting Designer

East meets West in Dai Fujikura’s The Great Wave at Scottish Opera

David Smythe, 12th February

Stuart Stratford conducts the world premiere of Fujikura’s opera about Hokusai’s image at Scottish Opera, with Satoshi Miyagi directing with his Japanese creative team.

***11

Sepia memories: Scottish Opera’s La bohème delights in revival

David Smythe, 11th October

Hye-Youn Lee and Mario Chang head a strong cast in Barbe and Doucet’s revival of La bohème, which marks the retirement of veteran lighting designer, Guy Simard.

****1

Lampooning the law: Scottish Opera’s satirical new double bill

David Smythe, 14th May

Scottish Opera’s double bill of Trial by Jury and the world premiere of Toby Hession’s fun-packed A Matter of Misconduct! features an ensemble cast, mostly of Emerging Artists.

****1

Scottish Opera’s Merry Widow tangles with the New York Mafia

David Smythe, 30th April

With misplaced horse heads, violin case guns and as many mafia gags as you could hope for, Scottish Opera’s Merry Widow may not be subtle but it looks and sounds gorgeous.

****1

The Makropulos Affair defies the march of time

Mark Valencia, 15th February

Orla Boylan’s creation oozes charisma and reeks of entitlement, driven to emotional cruelty by the lassitude of a life too-long lived.

****1

Scottish Opera’s Albert Herring: as fresh as dew on a May morning

David Smythe, 22nd October

Scottish Opera’s Albert Herring is updated to 1990 in Daisy Evans' likeable production, finely sung with a tight ensemble.

****1

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Brian Angus

Brian is a lover of opera, and has enjoyed attending operas for over forty years. Brian has very catholic tastes; favourite classic composers are Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi, contemporary composers John Adams and Jake Heggie, and a curiosity about Stockhausen’s music. He is always seeking opportunities to expand his appreciation of the world of music and opera.