PUCCINI. TURANDOT.

★★★★★ SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

“TURANDOT IS YET MORE DISTINGUISHED PUCCINI FROM OPERA HOLLAND PARK”

“IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE [THE AUDIENCE] WOULD HAVE BEEN ANYTHING OTHER THAN GREATLY IMPRESSED, JUST AS THE REST OF US WERE. FOR THERE WAS NO MISTAKING THE WARMTH AND SINCERITY OF THE FINAL APPLAUSE.”

“ELEANOR BURKE’S DIRECTION WAS AN EQUAL PARTNER. THE SEMI-STAGING STAGING CONCENTRATED, NATURALLY, ON CHARACTER AND NARRATIVE, AND DID SO VERY WELL, WHILST NONETHELESS FRAMING THEIR UNFOLDING WITH REFERENCE TO A CHILD, THE YOUNG PRINCESS, FIRST HAVING OPENED HER MUSIC BOX AND LATER HANDING IT TO THE CRUEL PRINCESS SHE WAS TO BECOME. THE IMPORTANCE BOTH OF CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE AND OF THE PROBLEMATICAL YET FASCINATING TENSION BETWEEN CARLO GOZZI’S COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE AND PUCCINI’S REALISM WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION”

★★★★ THE GUARDIAN

“ALL THE REQUIRED EXOTIC PERCUSSION WAS ON DISPLAY”

“PACKED THE NECESSARY PUNCH WHILE FINDING FELICITOUS DETAILS”

★★★★★ PLAYS TO SEE

“RESOUNDING TRIUMPH! THIS BRILLIANT OUTING OF TURANDOT BY OPERA HOLLAND PARK (OHP) HAS THE AUDIENCE SPELLBOUND FROM THE START.”

★★★★ BROADWAY WORLD

“TURANDOT, AN ICE BLONDE ANGEL OF REVENGE FOR ANCIENT WRONGS, A DEEPLY DAMAGED WOMAN…OFTEN FURTHEST FROM US, MAROONED UPSTAGE, SHE HAS THE AIR OF A HITCHCOCKIAN ANTIHEROINE, GRACE KELLY OR KIM NOVAK PERHAPS, AND, DESPITE THE ENDING (NOT PUCCINI’S), ONE WONDERS IF SHE’S REALLY CHANGED.”

OPERA NOW

“BURKE’S CAREFUL PREPARATION OF THE GROUND – THE CONFRONTING TORTURE SCENE, THE PHYSICAL ABUSE, THE PHOTOS STANDING IN FOR THE SUITORS’ SEVERED HEADS – HAD ALREADY UNDERCUT A RESOLUTION WHOSE HAPPINESS COMES AT A BLOODY COST”

MUSIC OMH