UK Summer Tour 2018
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Summer Tour 2018
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Jane Austen's Persuasion
A Musical Drama
The Reviews are Spectacular!
The Art Theatre was a perfect setting for this opera and provided a similar atmosphere to the Buxton Opera House. The opera gains it's authenticity from meticulous research using music that was known to Jane Austen and composed by Beethoven, Corelli, Handel, Haydn as well as several others. The cast contained both Americans and non Americans but the accents were all British no doubt due to the efforts of the dialect coach listed in the programme. The quality of the singing was uniformly excellent especially given the size of the cast which exceeded the cast sizes usually seen at the Buxton Festival. This was a comic opera reflecting the humour as well as the romance of Austen's novel. On occasion the actors/singers were required to play scenes for laughs and occasionally sing intentionally out of tune and this very much added to the fun of the production. An interesting addition to Austen's story was the inclusion of Irish dancing. This is authentic since many Irishmen served in the British navy at the time. The exuberant sight of Irish dancers in naval uniforms provided an enjoyable interlude and change of pace. The staging was creative and very effective. The movement between locations was signified by projecting the location onto the main stage backdrop and subtle staging effects were achieved by projecting onto a transparent half curtain and using a raise platform erected to one side of the stage. All that was then required was a few relevant pieces of furniture and the audience was transported in an instant between the homes of the various protagonists or to Austen's favourite location of Bath.The Buxton Festival fringe is very fortunate that Chamber Opera Chicago has brought this substantial production to the festival. Alex Watts, 2017
There is perfect synchronicity between the cast and the impressive chamber orchestra. One of the most striking observations for Austen fans is Barbara Landis’ commitment to retaining much original dialogue which is complemented superbly by Austen’s favourite music and luxurious costumes. There are a great many highlights to this performance – not least the rousing sailor songs which demonstrate the vocal talents of the entire company and treat us to Irish tap routines of the highest order. ~ Joshua Clarke, Broadway Baby, 4-star review featured in the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
This is a big budget show with fabulous costumes and incredibly detailed projection on the backdrop to show changes in location, time and weather. The cast were undeniably talented, with some incredibly strong voices on show in both solo and group numbers, and the band were faultless. The narrative stayed very faithful to the original book, was easy to follow without ever feeling clunky, and the script contained enough detail to properly establish each scene and character in full...~ Steve Griffin, Edinburgh 49
No 'Persuasion' needed to see this treat......astounding!~ Emily Scotcher, Isle of Wight County Press
Landis's touring production takes music from Austen's own collections as well as by many other composers to create an operetta version of the story. It's very faithful to the novel… the acting as well as the singing is of a high standard~ Anne Morley-Priestman, WhatsOnStage.com
The vocal performances were so powerful they pushed you backwards into your seat while successfully able to convey the romance that you always seem to find in Jane Austen’s novels.~ Suzanne Day, In Suffolk
A very real affection for Jane lies at the heart of Barbara Landis’ adaptation…Rousing sailors’ chorus and quicksilver Irish dancers were wonderful - all the ensemble moved with grace and skill..~ Louise Schweitzer, Brighton Argus
The intriguing narrative is driven by an excellent supporting ensemble that delivers a powerful performance as well as the highlight of the show. Their portrayal of Irish sailors, featuring dancers from the Trinity Irish Dance Company, is superbly executed and moved the audience to an extra-long applause. Credit must also be paid to the orchestra who were fantastic, filling the Thames Street theatre with the music of Beethoven, Handel and Haydn.~ Sam Murray, The Royal Burrough Observer, Windsor
There were flashes of humour, plenty of over-acting and some great dancing (the two Irish dancing lads were definitely scene-stealers, and rightly so), all held together by a multi-talented group of musicians in the small but perfect orchestra…I’ve not even mentioned the costumes, the choreography, the clever scene changes - mainly with very well done projections onto translucent curtains – and the cast of over 30 all playing their roles to perfection. In case you haven’t yet got the message – I was totally blown away by one of the best evening’s entertainment I’ve had at the beautifully restored Regency Theatre Royal. ~ John Bottle, Bury Free Press
