The Hawth, Crawley | Wednesday 4th May
English Touring Opera
Don Giovanni | Review
I feel it can be good to expand ones horizons so off I went to my second opera experience.
Having never seen a touring opera before, I was surprised at the grand scale of the scenery that was set on the open stage at The Hawth. During the overture I enjoyed visually exploring Anna Fleischle‘s set with the assistance of the changing lighting which was accompanied by the wonderful live 25 piece orchestra in the pit conducted by Michael Rosewell.
The story is that of an upper class gentleman Don Giovanni (George von Bergen/Nicholas Lester), and his frustrated man servant Leporello (Matthew Stiff). We watch as Don Giovanni seduces and captivates numerous ladies and within 5 minutes we are in a world where there is drama and murder. All the story telling is told through song (in English) and there are screens on the side showing the words the actors are singing, making it easy to follow the plot.
The music and singing are of course all professional and of a very high standard so you can get quite lost in the beauty of the songs and the music of Mozart. It is also performed in full costume
The opera itself is classed as “dramma giocoso” (humerous drama) and there were several points in the evening where you could laugh with Leporello’s story telling however in the end, for all his womanising Don Giovanni met his end in hell.
Directed by Lloyd Wood this is the English Touring Opera‘s largest tour to date with over 80 people on tour it gives over 100 performances in 21 different locations. Don Giovanni is being performed by the English Touring Opera Company as part of their Spring 2016 season alongside Iphigénie en Tauride by Gluck.
After playing at the Hawth in Crawley this week the tour is currently at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.
For full tour dates click here.
Reviewer | Ceris Plumtree
Photo Credit | Richard Hubert Smith