From the ballroom to the trenches: The Land of Might-Have-Been

George Arvidson (Edward Brittain) and Audrey Brisson (Vera Brittain)

Audrey Brisson (Vera), Julia Mariko and Rachel Seirian (nurses)

George Arvidson (Edward), Alexander Knox (Roland Leighton) and Kit Esuruoso (Bobbie)

By Sarah Noble, 17 July 2023

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“Novello’s inimitable way with a tune ensures there’s plenty of gaiety along the way”

Reviewed at Buxton Opera House, Buxton on 15 July 2023

Williams, The Land of Might-Have-Been

Buxton Festival Opera

Iwan Davies, Conductor

Kimberley Sykes, Director

Nicky Shaw, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Jake Wiltshire, Lighting Designer

Northern Chamber Orchestra

Adrian Kelly, Artistic Director

Audrey Brisson, Vera Brittain

Alexander Knox, Roland Leighton

George Arvidson, Edward Brittain

Kit Esuruoso, Bobbie

Stuart Pendred, Arthur Brittain

Bernadine Pritchett, Edith Brittain

Michela Meazza, Choreography

Julie Teal, Actor

Julia Mariko, Soprano

Arcadia in the Peak District: Mozart's Il re pastore in Buxton

Sarah Noble, 9th July

Mozart's early opera seria may not be his greatest achievement – but lightness of touch from all involved highlight its charms in Jack Furness' new production.

***11

Buxton Festival celebrates 40th anniversary with Eugene Onegin

Robert Gainer, 6th July

Every July, Buxton’s charming opera house hosts an international festival of opera, literature and the arts. This year the festival opened with a strong familiar favourite, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.

****1

For teenage kicks: Mozart's Lucio Silla at Buxton International Festival

Charlotte Valori, 9th July

The fashion for reviving Mozart's teenage operas brings a vocally dazzling production of Lucio Silla to Buxton, nevertheless hampered by the work's own lack of believable drama and some fairly flat staging.

***11

Fresh peaches of temptation

Charlotte Valori, 8th July

A period-perfect Albert Herring from Francis Matthews for Buxton International Festival takes time to settle into its stride, but provides plenty of laughs along the way.

****1

Verdi's Macbeth at Buxton International Festival

Charlotte Valori, 7th July

A searing, edge-of-your-seat spinetingler from Elijah Moshinsky makes the strongest possible case for Verdi's first Macbeth, ideally suited to the proportions of Buxton's beautiful Opera House.

*****

Games of Thrones: Handel's Tamerlano

Dominic Lowe, 10th July

Handel's psychotic Tartar leader and bedhopping nobles are well served in an excellent collaboration between the Buxton Festival and the English Concert with some outstanding singing from Marie Lys and Owen Willetts.

****1

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Sarah Noble

Originally from New Zealand, Sarah Noble is an arts administrator and freelance writer whose articles and reviews have appeared in Limelight, Opera, NZ Opera News and The Opera Critic. After stints in Sydney, Orlando, London and Manchester, she's now based in Macclesfield but travels frequently in pursuit of live performance – operatic and otherwise. Sarah was previously the producer of the International Opera Awards and now works as production co-ordinator for a classical music filming company.

From the ballroom to the trenches: The Land of Might-Have-Been in Buxton