Harry Blake's skillful reduction and the superb quartet of musicians
...(the) final, chilling confrontation with Anthony Flaum's increasingly skin-crawling Jose, her dangerously besotted former lover, feels all too grimly real.
...a strong-voiced, tight-knit cast that fully commits to the drama
...makes a powerfully direct impact no opera house can match.
A compelling version of Bizet’s impassioned masterpiece that punches well above its pared-down weight
All-round good singing and clear diction highlight Norton-Hale’s intelligent English translation of the libretto.
...vivacious soprano Louisa Tee and smooth baritone Richard Immerglück
Harry Blake’s reduced score (played by pianist Berrak Dyer’s talented quartet) is perfect for this small venue, making the drama more intimate and allowing the ensemble singing to shine in its parts
Carmen fiercely asserts that “I will be free to live the way I choose”. More than any other line, this one epitomises Carmen’s character, while also emphasising the opera’s central conflict: namely, the struggle between duty and passion
