The Nutcracker, Royal Opera House

We very nearly didn’t make it to the New Year’s Eve performance of the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House. Tired and discouraged by the gloomy wet weather we were tempted to stay in with a cup of tea in front of the fire. Reminding myself (and my friend) of the uplifting music and sumptuousness of the Royal Opera House productions, we jumped in the car and sped towards Covent Garden, before we could change our minds again.

Uninterested by the mad New Year's Eve nightlife in London, a trip to see the Royal Ballet seemed a perfectly civilised and special alternative. We followed the crowds of best dressed kids up into our cheap seats, and I gleefully got out my beautiful vintage opera glasses I was given for Christmas.

The ballet was beautiful as ever, stunning dancing, costumes and set, and with an orchestra of tremendous force and quality. The interpretation of the story however did confuse me slightly, and I prefer the English National’s Ballet’s more romantic and traditional take on this classic work.

The story begins and ends in the toymaker's workshop, instead of in Clara’s bedroom, strangely making the narrative less enchanting, leaving the audience bewildered about the logistics of the tale, is it a dream or not? We never meet Clara as a child, instead lead ballerina Leanne Cope dances as the young girl throughout, also taking part in the second half show performances which is very odd. Perhaps I have been misled as I grew up with the English National Ballet version, however I think even for a Nutcracker first timer this story choice would be incongruous.

Moving down surreptitiously to a superior box for the second half (I spotted it during Act 1) we had a magnificent view of the production, and it truly sparkles. Leanne Cope is so smiley, it is impossible not to enjoy her performance as Clara and Paul Kay shows great strength and character dancing as her partner, the Nutcracker. Several of the cast were away for our performance but the substitutes were certainly not second rate, Marianela Nunez is a very precise and elegant Sugar Plum Fairy and Yuhui Choe is poised and lovely as the pretty in pink Rose Fairy.

It was quite simply beautiful, the perfect afternoon out, and the perfect way to end 2011.

Continues until 18 January, book here.

The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

It took a minute to remind ourselves of the story of Sleeping Beauty, without getting confused and preoccupied by Snow White and Cinderella. Turns out Sleeping Beauty is the one who if she pricks her finger is destined to die, thanks to a mean wicked fairy who places a curse on her at birth. Luckily a kind fairy partially reverses this enchantment so Sleeping Beauty will only fall asleep for one hundred years. The inevitable happens and the princess falls into a deep sleep for a century until awoken by a prince who breaks the spell, then they all live happily ever after.

Once I’d recapped all that, I was free to enjoy the dancing on the Royal Opera House stage, which was, as usual, quite spectacular. Unfortunately we were once again slumming it in the slips... as previously in the interval I skipped down a few floors to take up empty stalls seated but on this night the stewards were having none of it. It seems to me that the posher the theatre the ruder the stewards are, it is a rule that certainly applies to the Royal Opera House and Royal Albert Hall. We were unkindly escorted back upstairs, the power hungry manager didn’t believe I even had tickets!

As is often the case in ballet, the narrative is loose and to a certain extent unimportant. The beautiful score by Tchaikovsky tells the story as much as any indications on stage and it is the dancing and awe-inspiring skill that the crowd come to see. Marianela Nunez is radiant as the pretty in pink Princess Aurora, she lights up the whole auditorium with her glowing smile and dances with an elegant ease. Nunez is amazingly light footed and yet possesses a strength that shows confidence and maturity.

I am not in a position to judge ballet technique and yet all the fairies, particularly the Lilac Fairy, Claire Calvert and Helen Crawford as the Fairy of the Woodland Glade really stand out as exceptional, perfectionist dancers, completely faultless throughout. Marius Petipa’s choreography is dynamic, especially the ensemble work and he takes extra care with the final poses making full use of the stage.

I was disappointed with the set, rather lacklustre and flimsy it doesn’t evoke the magical fairytale world I was hoping for, luckily the dancing makes up for it. It was a real shame about the stewards, as their officiousness threatened to ruin our night and at somewhere like the Royal Opera House I would expect more from the staff.

The Sleeping Beauty continues until 21 December, book here.

La Traviata, Royal Opera House

La Traviata was the very first opera I ever saw, at the ENO, with my mum, and quite honestly I think it ignited my passion for music. Verdi’s masterpiece is the perfect opera, a heartbreaking but believable story, with nuanced characters, and music to make you cry, laugh and dance. I adore it and would never pass up the chance to see a production of it, especially at the Royal Opera House.

We had standing tickets in the lower slips (ie. right up at the very top) but for a mere £9, I felt I couldn’t complain. Instead I spent the 35 minute long first half desperately trying to spot where the empty seats were in the stalls (a trick I’ve used before)... I found a few and rushed down in the interval to claim them. We remained in these considerably more expensive seats for the rest of the performance!

The tragic tale of a doomed love affair, La Traviata is based on La Dame aux Camelias (1852), a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. ‘La Traviata’ literally means ‘The Fallen Woman’ a term used to describe prostitutes of the time. Marina Poplavskaya’s voice as Violetta is perhaps not to everyone's taste; my mum isn't a massive fan, though I was grateful for the power and strength particularly as recently I've noticed rather too many weedy sopranos. Strangely this Russian singer performs best in the closing scenes when she is progressively more ill and exhausted, she seems to blossom in this wilted state, and sings the quieter subdued final arias with beautiful tone and impressive control.

The star of the show is clearly evident, Leo Nucci as the father of Alfredo, Giorgio Germont. Nucci received more outcries of ‘Bravo’ than I have ever heard in an opera house. He is a great connoisseur of opera, having made his debut in 1967 and sings with a wealth of experience. His voice is a stunningly rich Baritone, and he devotes himself entirely to the role, singing with emotion and grandeur.

This brilliant production by director Richard Eyre and designer Bob Crowley is fresh seventeen years after its first performance, this revival seems set to just keep on exciting audiences. The orchestra, conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig, brings suitable light and shade to Verdi’s magnificent score.

I’m not sure if I could ever find La Traviata disappointing, just hearing the music is enough to satisfy me. Though this production doesn’t just rely on the wondrous musicality of Verdi, it succeeds in producing an all round superb rendition with a cast of singers that thrill.

Continues until 25 January 2012, book here.

Macbeth at The Royal Opera House

Visits to the Royal Opera House and the ENO in one day is impressive, even for me! When I was offered a ticket to the final Macbeth rehearsal at ROH I had to accept. Going along to Covent Garden at 11am felt a little strange, especially seeing the audience turning up in casual weekend attire, a far cry from the usual ball gowns and pearls.

Once in the auditorium, the rehearsal announcement came loud and clear through the speakers: "this is a working rehearsal, there may be stops, and some singers may mark their part". Of course they have to say this but in fact the performance ran through, faultless and perfected, even the final bows were neat and tidy. To my knowledge the singers were singing full voice, they certainly didn't appear to be holding back. In fact quite the opposite, they were powerful and resonant, some of the best vocal bravado I've heard here for a while.

In my final year at university I was lucky enough to study 'Verdi and Shakespeare,' a course that focused on his three Shakespearean operas. Macbeth was the first, written in 1847 and revised in 1865. This was a period of great productivity in Verdi's life; even so the great composer recognised its worth, "Macbeth I prize above all my other operas".

The curtain lifts to reveal a swarm of menacing witches, they are dressed in striking red and black costumes that look very Japanese inspired. The chorus is gigantic, they spit out the first number, a sinister mass. I immediately noticed Anthony Ward’s bold set, a strong structure that traps the singers very effectively on stage. The soloists in this cast are exceptional, Simon Keenlyside’s clear baritone voice brings warmth to the role of Macbeth, and Liudmyla Monastyrska sings the highly virtuosic part of Lady Macbeth with confidence and true musicianship. Brilliant alone on stage, she fills the theatre with her big voice, but also works extremely well with Keenlyside, a perfectly possessed duo.

The orchestra of the Royal Opera House are masterful as ever, conducted by the strong handed Antonio Pappano, who I think brings a unique flair to this extraordinary score. Pappano is particularly sensitive to the more intense moments of the opera, for instance Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene that is very intimate and moving.

I was fully engaged throughout despite the long running time of three hours. Every aspect of Phyllida Lloyd’s production is brilliantly realised to produce a stunning five star rendition of this wonderfully dark masterpiece.

Macbeth continues until Saturday 18th June, book here.

Manon, Royal Ballet at The Royal Opera House

Last Thursday I attended Manon, Massenet’s ballet at the Royal Opera House, in what was the 223rd performance of the piece at this venue. It is a popular programming choice and offers two wonderful lead roles that are surprisingly character driven. We had (the cheapest) £6 standing tickets, in the upper slips, and so our view was rather restricted. Craftily though, before the lights went down, we clued up on which seats were left empty in the stalls, and in the first of the two intervals we crept down to enjoy the rest of the show from a premium vantage point!

Manon, a French girl is on her way to enter a convent. Her brother Lescaut, noticing a wealthy gentleman’s attraction to Manon comes to an arrangement with him. Meanwhile she falls in love with Des Grieux, an attractive young student. Torn between wealth and love, Manon struggles throughout the ballet to decide on which man to choose. As a result of her mischievous behaviour, her brother is killed and she is arrested and deported as a prostitute. The faithful Des Grieux follows her to America, where an exhausted and frail Manon dies in his arms.

Due to Edward Watson’s last minute injury, the role of Des Grieux was played by Steven McRae, an Australian dancer who I saw most recently in Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Watson’s absence was our gain: McRae gave a heartbreaking rendition of the desperate lover, as believable as it was skilful. Leanne Benjamin is pretty and tempting as the enchanting minx, Manon. She dances superbly, and despite being very petite, fills the stage with her perfect pointe and fluttering steps. As I watched I could hear the audience members around me gasping at her intensity and brilliance.

Kenneth MacMillan's choreography is impressive in its vitality and dramatic strength which brings the story to life. Occasionally some of the chorus routines feel a little clumsy and less composed than the sublime solo moments. The design, from Nicholas Georgiadis is stunning - I love the final mysterious jungle, with long green vines twirling down through which the main couple dance.

Perhaps not as inventive as the brilliant Alice ballet, but beautiful nonetheless.

Manon continues until 9 May 2011, book here.

Operashots at The Linbury Theatre

Operashots is a brilliant idea: an evening of several brief operatic pieces. The programme began in 2010, commissioning brand new short works to display a new and exciting kind of contemporary opera. The night is certainly more manageable for those who struggle with extensively long operatic productions. Last year pieces by Orlando Gough, Nitin Sawhney and Jocelyn Pook were performed. This season composers Anne Dudley and Stewart Copeland are in the spotlight.

Last Saturday a few of us went to see the final night of the latest Operashots programme at The Linbury Studio Theatre. This smaller theatre in the Royal Opera House is a great platform for dramatic work. I performed here a few times in my teens with the brilliant W11 Children’s Opera but had forgotten quite how nice it is.

First up we saw ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’; a dark work composed by founder and drummer of The Police, Stewart Copeland. The narrative is based on Edgar Allan Poe’s story, a hideous murder and the killer’s resulting gradual madness. The music is stricken with terror, discordant chords and strange melodic intervals - harmonies clash with pained guilt. Richard Suart was highly expressive as Edgar, singing with excellent diction and vigour while scrunching up his face in a frenzy. Visually it was exciting: the set was stark but magnificent, and imaginative video designs from Finn Ross transformed the piece entirely.

‘The Doctor’s Tale’ was a much lighter, but longer piece for the second half. I have previously sung some of Anne Dudley’s compositions, so it was interesting to see the realisation of a whole opera by her. The music was amusing and enjoyable though I found the story too ridiculous... a loveable doctor is being suspended from work... because he is a dog! It was bizarre to watch, and I had a “is this really happening?” moment, while looking round in disbelief to find everyone else laughing jovially.

Watch this space for future Operashots programmes.

Alice in Wonderland ballet at The Royal Opera House

I booked tickets for the Royal Ballet’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ at The Royal Opera House way back in September which was lucky because despite only starting its run this March the entire run sold out last October six months ahead of the performances, too early for the popularity to be explained by the Black Swan phenomenon. So what is it that has made this new ballet such a predetermined hit?

Alice is the first full length work to be created by the Royal Ballet since 1995. Here finally is a piece to rival the Nutcracker’s supremacy, perhaps enough to knock it off the top spot. The mysterious tale is popular with adults and children alike as witnessed by the success of Tim Burton's recent film. It was just a matter of time before it was adapted and staged as a ballet.

This is storytelling at its very best, with no detail of Lewis Carroll’s original book neglected. Christopher Wheeldon is a provocative choreographer who seems to have examined the qualities of the narrative. The magic is all there, magnified even with an exquisite set and breathtaking puppetry. Even with the financial support that Wheeldon was fortunate to receive, the staging presents some seemingly impossible tasks... episodes like the growing and shrinking Alice are achieved miraculously.

Lauren Cuthbertson is a fresh, gracious and inquisitive young Alice. She has the ability to capture real emotion through both her dancing and her cheeky facial expressions; she is utterly engaging throughout. It is a big role to play, she barely leaves the stage, and when she isn’t falling or racing about, her time is spent twisting and twirling. The narrative is slightly altered in this adaptation: though lured down the rabbit hole by the bonkers white rabbit, it is the gardener’s boy (Sergei Polunin) she is keen to pursue, a love interest that is very much a part of the new storyline.

The music, by Joby Talbot, is suitably weird and wonderful; led by a huge percussion section of five bold players, the melodies soar and the rhythms match the dizzying story perfectly. I was sitting directly above the orchestra (high up in the £8 seats!) and could see the power and energy of the conductor Barry Wordsworth, the new score is obviously exciting them as much as it is being gratefully received by us. The music is at times very filmic but nonetheless very danceable and appropriate for Lewis Carroll.

I have played an evil red Queen in my time as a performer and can say she is a fabulously fun villain to be; fierce Zenaida Yanowsky triumphs as the Queen of Hearts relishing every ounce of nastiness much to the delight of the audience. She arrives in a red heart chariot, eyes glaring and finger pointing at anyone who dares look her way. The carriage later opens to reveal the poor tired King kneeling at her feet, kicked about by her dangerously pointed shoes. I have never heard the Royal Opera House roar with laughter like it did while Yanowsky frolicked about on stage, long gone are the pretty ballerinas.

The mad hatter, played here by a very talented Steven McRae, is meant to be a rambling chatterbox – a character that is difficult to convey in speechless ballet. Wheeldon replaces chatter with tap dancing, his marvellously frenzied footwork contrasts with the classically dancing Alice. The magnificent costumes leave little to the imagination, no expense is spared, everyone looks outrageous. I particularly loved the little kids rolling about in spiky outfits as the hedgehogs and the pink clad girls delicately hopping on one leg, mimicking flamingos.

I found the first act a little long, and was ready for the interval when it came. The second half moves more quickly, with awe inspiring dances, one after another. The choreography here is not as complex or virtuosic as it might be but amazes because it is beautiful and full of panache.

Long live Weeldon’s Alice, I predict it will be an immortal classic, a success that the Royal Ballet has been craving for a while. It is criminal that there are only six performances.

See more on the Royal Opera House website here.

Rigoletto at The Royal Opera House

I looked forward to my Royal Opera House trip all week, especially as I was taking a ROH virgin along with me! We went to see the fifth revival of David Vicar’s production of Rigoletto, first staged in 2001.Rigoletto was written by the magnificent Verdi, an opera composer who many argue is superior to all those who worked in the genre before or after him. His intensely dramatic music is some of the world’s most celebrated and never fails to move me. La Traviata is my favourite opera by Verdi and also the first opera I ever saw, but this was my first time seeing Rigoletto.

There is nothing quite like sitting in London’s Royal Opera House, it is one of the great wonders of our city. I always feel thrilled to be part of such an excited sea of audience members, all sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the conductor’s first wave of his oh-so important baton.

All eyes were on Israeli-born conductor Dan Ettinger who seemed delighted to be making his debut at The ROH. And despite being young he seems in his element in the pit and was a wonderful leader for the orchestra.

Vicar’s production is, on the whole quite dark and moody, and takes place in the shadows of the giant set. As the curtain rises we are treated to a shockingly bawdy scene. Perhaps I am being prudish but I found it a little too distracting, especially when one poor chorus member strips completely and runs around stark naked, quite a sight at The Royal Opera House!

The set is cleverly built to be reversible, the palace on one side, and Rigoletto’s house/Sparafucile’s inn on the other; it can be moved accordingly. Effective on the whole, but unfortunately it took rather a long time to move leaving an awkward silence in between Acts. The singing is the highlight for me, and I left thinking it the most impressive display of vocal talent I have ever seen on this stage. Dmitri Hvorostovsky (who played the role in 2005) once again takes to the stage as the desperate joker Rigoletto. His dark baritone voice is rich and resonant - he sings the melancholic role with conviction and credible emotion throughout. Wookyung Kim returns to Covent Garden to sing the part of the precious Duke, his energy and commitment to the role is obvious, his light tenor is very enjoyable to listen to, though I couldn’t help being disappointed that he isn’t better looking, a quality the Duke requires. Patrizia Ciofi and Ekaterina Sadovnikova share the role of Gilda for this production. Sadovnikova was performing the night I went and sang her little heart out and seemed very comfortable acting with Hvorostovky on stage, together they have some touching father and daughter moments on stage. I was a little disappointed with Daniela Innamorati who plays Maddalena, her voice did not quite live up to the part on the night, and she suffered against the other singers in the final Act quartet.

At university I had a brilliant class called ‘Verdi and Shakespeare’, we touched briefly on Rigoletto although I realised, during the performance that I had forgotten many of the opera’s details. As the final Act began I suddenly remembered the horribly tragic conclusion, and couldn’t stop myself audibly gasping.

The ROH never fails to put on a show, with glorious sets and stunning costumes and great attention to detail, this production of Rigoletto is no different.

Rigoletto continues until 6 November 2010, book tickets here.

Carmen at The Royal Opera House

You can always expect a fantastic spectacle at one of London’s finest theatres, the Royal Opera House. And their current production of Carmen only enhances that reputation.

Bizet’s Carmen is definitely a crowd pleaser, with many singable songs. This production, by Francesca Zambello was first seen at Covent Garden in 2006 and continues to impress four years later, with Duncan Macfarland as the revival director.

Maija Kovalevska is stunning as the timid Michaela, her soprano voice soars on the expansive stage. Her efforts were rewarded at the curtain call when she received the most “bravos” and, for me, she stole the show. Carmen, played by British mezzo-soprano Christine Rice is suitably tempestuous. Rice definitely looks the part and vocally is passionate and alluring. Bryan Hymel is disappointing as Don Jose; he seemed to struggle, particularly in the earlier arias. The orchestra is conducted sublimely by Greek conductor Constantinos Carydis, although at times I was enjoying the music so much I felt it could have been louder.

Costumes and set are lavish and grand, aspects that I always expect and love at the Royal Opera House. Tall burnt-orange coloured walls surround the stage, particularly inspired for the final bullfight. The cast is large and often on stage. At the start children, donkeys, horses, chickens all run about, whether this authentically evokes Seville is debatable but it’s certainly fun to watch.

For those willing to stand at the back, there are great cheap deals.

Carmen finishes on 26 June, but with a fabulous summer programme coming up of Manon, Simon Boccanegra, Salome and La Traviata, it’s worth treating yourself.

Book here.