Review: The Glyndebourne Tour - L’Elisir D’Amore and Rigoletto at Milton Keynes Theatre

Glydebourne are back on tour and performing at Milton Keynes Theatre this week. We had the pleasure to attend the performance of L’Elisir D’Amore on Tuesday evening and Rigoletto last night. The Glyndebourne Tour is always a big hit and a highlight of the year at Milton Keynes Theatre, amongst their many dazzling shows.

L’Elisir D’Amore, a comic opera, is a light, playful affair set in a sunny 19^th century Italian village. Peasant Nemorino is hopelessly in love with beautiful land-owner Adina. He is not taken seriously by Adina or the provincials and is the butt of their jokes and teasing. Akin to the story of Tristan and Isolde, enchanted by a magical love potion; Nemorino is fooled by quack Dr Dulcamara into buying a potion to win Adina’s heart. Like all good opera tales, there’s a fair bit of drama, sneakiness, backstabbing and jealousy going on but overall this tale has a happy ending unlike some that are much more tragic – we’ll get to that next. L’Elisir D’Armore is a nice change from the traditional style of opera, performed skilfully, with impressive soloists and an incredibly talented chorus and orchestra as one would expect from the Glydebourne Tour.

Rigoletto was a refreshing take on an old classic, one of the most popular and frequently performed operas. Director Christiane Lutz took inspiration from 1920’s Hollywood movie studios and brought us a revamped Rigoletto in the form of ‘Charlie Chaplin’ instead of the original hunchbacked joker. It’s an opera of male power and sexual violence so considerably darker than the previous night’s performance. There are moments (certainly towards the end) when you really just want to give Gilda (Rigoletto’s lovesick daughter) a good shake and say snap out of it! She gives her life to save the man that does not love her, lied to her, is unfaithful and was even involved with her kidnapping. But that is what makes such an astounding and absurd opera with exceptionally talented music and singing working seamlessly with these farcical storylines. 

Masterful performances with a thoroughly engaged audience, I can highly recommend a trip to Milton Keynes Theatre this week. 

L’Elisir D’Amore will be performed this evening, Rinaldo will be performed on Friday 15^th and Rigoletto will be performed again on Saturday 16^th November. For tickets, go to: www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre

Review: Glyndebourne Tour 2017 in Milton Keynes

This week, Milton Keynes Theatre is graced with the Glyndebourne Tour 2017. We had the pleasure of attending Il Barbiere Di Siviiglia last night and will be attending Hamlet on Friday evening. A second performance of Cosi Fan Tutte is on tonight and another of Il Barbiere Di Siviglia on Saturday.

‘Founded in 1934 by John Christie and his opera singer wife, Audrey Mildmay, Glyndebourne is committed to presenting opera of the highest quality, commissioning new work, developing new talent and reaching new audiences’. The group includes the usual Sopranos, Baritones and Tenors as well as the Glyndebourne Chorus and an outstanding Orchestra. You’re entering another world when you go to the Opera, they are classical, elegant, sophisticated and worlds apart from our modern-day musicals (which are fantastic in their own rights!) Of course, a lot of theatre productions and musicals today will have originated or taken influences from the classical shows, plays and music from throughout history and it’s wonderful to see and appreciate such talent in this particular discipline today.

The singers/actors and musicians have such refined skills, voices and talents, there were certainly a few goose-pimples when the amazing Soprano, Laura Verrecchia hit the high and very loud notes. The stage set was magical as were the sound and costumes.

The stories in Operas are usually quite simple and split between two acts, often with light humour and hints of tragedy in the form of heartache, a death or misfortunes. Cosi Fan Tutti (all women are like that) is a love story of sorts with young men playing games with their fiancés to see if they will be unfaithful as women are ‘fickle’. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia (Barber of Seville) is another tale of love with star-crossed lovers trying to find a way to be together and of course Hamlet is adapted from Shakespeare’s classic play.

If you love Opera, theatre or have never seen an Opera, we would highly recommend heading to MK Theatre this week and see for yourselves, the appreciation and applause from the audience is unlike anything else you will experience. Tickets from www.atgtickets.com

Welsh National Opera’s La Bohème at Milton Keynes Theatre

Well I’m an opera convert! I honestly didn’t think it would be my thing but went along with an open mind, being my first visit to an opera and enjoyed every moment start to finish.

La Bohème tells the tragic love story of bohemians Rodolfo, Mimi and their friends living in the Latin Quarter of Paris in the 1840’s. It’s Christmas Eve and Rodolfo meets Mimi unexpectedly when she needs help with her candle. It’s love at first sight and each act takes us through their journey, all the while Mimi’s sickness progresses.

The opera is in four acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini and based on Scènes de la Vie de Bohème by Henry Murger. I cannot compare to other Operas or other versions of La Bohème, however the performance from last night’s Welsh National Opera was outstanding. The stage sets, lighting and costumes really transported the audience to Bohemian Paris and had a touch of modern technology projecting a backdrop of the smoky Parisian skyline and falling snow. Awesome work by the orchestra too and the music was captivating.

Matteo Lippi, Tenore and Jessica Muirhead, Soprano performed the leads. The full cast was fantastic but the singing from the leads really gave us goosebumps!

Can’t wait to see WNO’s Madam Butterfly on Friday evening now – if there are tickets left, you’ll want to grab some quick for an alternative Friday or Saturday night of culture and charm.

Tickets available on www.atgtickets.com