Patriot games: Simon Boccanegra at Fulham Opera

By Charlotte Valori, 14 March 2016

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Reviewed at St John's Fulham, London on 11 March 2016

Verdi, Simon Boccanegra (1881 Version)

Fulham Opera

Ben Woodward, Conductor

Fiona Williams, Director

Maryna Gradnova, Costume Designer

Emily Blanch, Amelia Grimaldi

Alberto Sousa, Gabriele Adorno

James Harrison, Paolo Albiani

Oliver Gibbs, Simon Boccanegra

Simon Hannigan, Jacopo Fiesco

Hannah Macaulay, Amelia's maid

Simon Grange, Pietro

Tempest-tossed on the storm of life

Charlotte Valori, 20th November

Daisy Evans' dystopian, immersive Dutchman for Fulham Opera may be tough medicine – but, with such glorious singing on offer, it's an unmissable chance to step into Wagner's soundworld.

****1

Ben Woodward, in his superb musical act of reduction with Fulham Opera at St John's Church, Fulham, has brought us a Ring of eyewatering clarity, raw beauty and visceral power. Cancel everything, and go.

Charlotte Valori, 16th February

Ben Woodward, in his superb musical act of reduction with Fulham Opera at St John's Church, Fulham, has brought us a Ring of eyewatering clarity, raw beauty and visceral power. Cancel everything, and go.

*****

Fulham Opera: Das Rheingold

Charlotte Valori, 9th February

Fulham Opera's intense, beautiful, powerful opening to their Ring cycle at the lovely St John's Church in Fulham was a privilege to watch, and promises well for all remaining nights.

*****

The Fulham Ring concludes with Götterdämmerung

Roger Smith, 8th November

There are times a tarnhelm would come in useful. Limited to more conventional means of transport, this reviewer found that it took a ridiculous hour and a half to drive from Soho to Fulham, as a result of which I’m afraid I missed the opening scene of Fulham Opera’s Götterdämmerung.

***11

Wagner done proud in Fulham: Siegfried from Fulham Opera

Paul Kilbey, 12th February

You have to sit in a small Fulham church, on a pretty uncomfortable chair, for at least four hours. And listen to a load of opera singers warbling about dwarves and gold and stuff. From certain perspectives, Fulham Opera’s production of Wagner’s Siegfried doesn’t sound like much fun at all.

****1

Die Walküre at Fulham Opera

Capriccio, 22nd May

For any opera company to mount a Wagner opera is a great undertaking. For a very small semi-professional opera company to mount the entire Ring cycle is a feat of extraordinary daring and perhaps madness. But that is exactly what Fulham Opera has decided to do.

***11

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Charlotte Valori

Charlotte Valori read Classics at Christ Church, Oxford. As a classicist, her main interest is Greek tragedy and its reception by later cultures, which has led to a continuing passion for theatre and opera. Charlotte reviews for several online magazines, and won the Bachtrack Opera Award 2015 for Best Written English Review. Follow her on Twitter @operissima.