Slick and contemporary: Xerxes at Hampstead Garden Opera

HGO's production of Holst's Sāvitri is a smart choice for a socially distant era. But why mess with a winning formula?

La bohème may not seem the obvious choice for a very small theatre, but HGO carry it off with aplomb, with the help of Rodolfo sung by a star in the making.

A musically sensitive account of Monteverdi’s Poppea, with simple staging and 1950s costumes, sees singing triumph noticeably over the relative theatrical inexperience of HGO’s talented young cast. 

Benjie del Rosario ignites a thrilling Pagliacci, while Cavalleria rusticana is potentially as good but marred by intelligibility and balance issues.

A brilliant modern revisioning by Genevieve Raghu, in a superb contemporary translation by Benjamin Hamilton, makes Don Giovanni feel more relevant than ever for the Tinder generation and their disposable approach to love. 

Excellent ensemble work makes for a compelling rendering of Britten's satirical chamber opera Albert Herring, with some impressive young tenor and baritone voices.