Opera Holland Park: colour and laughter as Figaro opens the season

By Stephen Pritchard, 02 June 2021

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“Wigs are high, hemlines low”

Reviewed at Holland Park Theatre, London on 1 June 2021

Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

Opera Holland Park

George Jackson, Conductor

Oliver Platt, Director

takis, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Rory Beaton, Lighting Designer

Rebecca Meltzer, Associate Director

Julien Van Mellaerts, Count Almaviva

Nardus Williams, Countess Almaviva

Elizabeth Karani, Susanna

Ross Ramgobin, Figaro

Samantha Price, Cherubino

James Cleverton, Doctor Bartolo

Victoria Simmonds, Marcellina

Claire Lees, Barbarina

Daniel Norman, Don Curzio, Don Basilio

Fretwell Walsh Caitlin, Choreography

Opera Holland Park Chorus

City of London Sinfonia

Born to sing Lucia: Jennifer France shines at Opera Holland Park

Mark Valencia, 18th July

Cecilia Stinton’s new production of Lucia di Lammermoor doesn't necessarily make best use of OHP’s performance space, but the singers excel.

***11

A mafioso Merry Widow at Opera Holland Park

Dominic Lowe, 19th June

Despite some excellent music-making, John Savournin's production is hindered by a laboured New York relocation.

**111

Jonathan Dove’s Itch at Opera Holland Park

David Karlin, 3rd June

Simon Mayo’s Young Adult novels are turned into an operatic romp which explores the fascination of the elements with excellent music and setting, albeit riddled with plot lacunae.

****1

Doomed Dutchman wants a wife: Wagner makes Opera Holland Park debut

Eleanor Knight, 27th May

Amid the rough winds of late May, Julia Burbach directs Opera Holland Park's first venture into Wagner – The Flying Dutchman.

***11

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.

*****

Puccini's Edgar makes a rare appearance at Opera Holland Park

Dominic Lowe, 2nd July

Is Puccini's second opera unloved and unlovable? Opera Holland Park makes a commendable attempt to revive Edgar, but struggles to overcome its many flaws.

***11

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Stephen Pritchard

Stephen Pritchard began singing as a treble at the age of eight and progressed to become a tenor in Portsmouth Cathedral Choir, the Gibbons Consort and now the English Chamber Choir. Writing about music has been at the core of his 40-year career in journalism, chiefly at the Observer. He has been known to play a pretty mean jazz double bass.