Thrilling: Garsington's Queen of Spades reviewed
Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades is one of those operas that under-promises on paper but over-delivers on stage. It's hard to summarise the plot in a way that makes it sound theatrical, even if you've read Pushkin's novella, and I've never found a recording that really hits the spot. And yet, time and again, in the theatre: wham! It goes up like a petrol bomb. With a good production and performers, Tchaikovsky hurls you out at the far end feeling almost hungover – head swimming, and wondering where those three hours went.
The cast and staging at Garsington are very, very good. True, you'd expect great things from any production that can afford to cast Roderick Williams (Yeletsky) and Robert Hayward (Tomsky) in what are essentially supporting roles, and the director is Jack Furness, who at his best (like his Garsington Rusalka in 2022) has been responsible for some of the most compelling British opera of the past decade. Furness is on top form here, delivering multilayered storytelling underpinned by subtle characterisation. He has an eye for spectacle, as well as the tiny details that speaks volumes.
The Philharmonia is the orchestra, and while they haven't always brought their A-game to Garsington, they've typically responded well to the festival's artistic director Douglas Boyd. Good news: he's conducting The Queen of Spades, and from the first notes – the clarinet's question in the silence; that hot-breathed surge of string tone – it's as tense as a guilty conscience. Cue baleful brass chords, aching woodwinds and those quiet, nagging ostinatos which mean that like the opera's anti-hero Herman (Aaron Cawley), we never really get to relax.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
38 minutes ago
- ITV News
Peckham or Sarajevo? Bosnian brothers spark joy with replica van from iconic British sitcom
There is an unmistakable air of Peckham these days in Bosnia's capital, Sarajevo, as the legendary yellow three-wheeled van from the BBC's long-running sitcom 'Only Fools and Horses' cruises the city streets. The little Reliant Regal was the trademark of the stars of the series — the irresistible Trotter brothers from Peckham, a working-class neighborhood in London. In Bosnia, a replica belongs to the Fatic brothers, local businessmen who are crazy about the show. The Fatics are dealers in home appliances, running a successful company with dozens of employees and a huge shop on the outskirts of Sarajevo. Building the business, however, has resembled the ups and downs of the Peckham market traders Del Boy and Rodney Trotter, they say. 'We are definitely the local version of the series,' Tarik Fatic, the younger of the brothers, said. 'We were always dealing in something, we would buy whatever we can and then sell it." The enormously popular sitcom, which began in 1981, follows the lives of the Trotter brothers and their far-from-straightforward path from rags to riches. Over the course of seven series and several Christmas specials, the Trotters tried various get-rich-quick schemes, buying low-quality or sometimes black-market goods and selling them at the market. Just like the Trotter brothers, 'we always tried to make profit and regardless of how many times we failed, we just moved on," Tarik Fatic said. Also from a working-class family, and growing up in a country that was devastated in the bloody 1992-95 ethnic conflict, the brothers tried trading in food, poultry and clothes before settling on home appliances. They are aware there are no guarantees their current success will last. 'The market (in Bosnia) is still disorganized and unstable,' Tarik Fatic, 33, said. 'Not a day passes without the two (Del Boy and Rodney) crossing my mind.' Known here as Mucke, which actually means something like wheeling and dealing, 'Only Fools and Horses' became hugely popular throughout what was still Yugoslavia from the 1980s onwards. Murals with images of main characters have been painted on the walls; many cafes were named after the series, while visiting actors were greeted with frenzy. The Reliant Regal was made by a British company, famous for its eccentric vehicles, that went out of business in 2002. In Sarajevo, people wave, take pictures with their phones, honk their horns when they see the yellow van in the streets. The Fatic brothers imported it from Manchester six months ago after a long search. It took a while to register the unusual vehicle, said Mirnes Fatic, 38. 'It is a very nice feeling. It's a joy every time I go for a ride in the city,' he said, admitting that it also was "a great advertising move." It's not just the van. The Fatic brothers have also named their company after the series — Only Fools and Horses Brothers Mucke. There have been some doubts how clients and banks would react but it turned out really well, Mirnes added. 'We hope and believe that this time next year, we will be millionaires," he smiled, using the famous phrase from the show.
Daily Record
43 minutes ago
- Daily Record
King Charles' clear message to Prince Harry as he awards David Beckham knighthood
David Beckham is finally getting getting his Knighthood. David Beckham has been after a Knighthood from the Royal Family for years and now it seems that his dreams are finally becoming a reality. The footballing icon is set to become 'Sir' in the King's Birthday Honours list next week. Over the years, the 50 year old has become friendly with the monarch and his son, the Prince of Wales. Beckham recently joined King Charles at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, was invited to his first Buckingham Palace State Banquet last year, and has made key contributions to charities linked to Charles and William, writes The Express. And it's believed Prince William will be delighted that the former Manchester United player will finally be given the accolade, however there's one royal who will be less than pleased by the news. Prince Harry was once close pals with Posh and Becks as they were also guests at his wedding to wife Meghan Markle in 2018. Beckham also supported Prince Harry's 2018 Invictus Games by jetting to Sydney for the occasion but this seems to be where their friendship went downhill as the Duke didn't want his friend involved in photo-ops. Since then Meghan accused the Beckhams of leaking stories about them, in a major deterioration of their friendship. According to reports, the two couples no longer speak, and Harry has watched from afar as his former pal enjoys close relationships with his estranged family. Last month, it was reported that the Sussexes appeared to get involved with the Beckhams fallout with their son, Brooklyn. The eldest Beckham child, Brooklyn is said to have a ongoing feud with this family and even snubbed his father's 50th birthday celebrations last month. But Meghan and Harry appear to be offering support to Brooklyn as they invited him and his wife, Nicola Peltz, for dinner at their Montecito home last month. The two women are said to have found 'common ground' after they have both been accused of wrecking their husbands' families. The Peltz-Beckhams have now reportedly brought in top lawyer Jenny Afia, known for representing Prince Harry, to assist with "reputation management." The British solicitor, who works at the Schillings law firm, recently appeared in the documentary The Princes and the Press. A source revealed to the Mail on Sunday: "All of a sudden they have enlisted the help of the Sussexes' long-serving lawyer. " Nicola and Brooklyn are getting fed up of stories running they don't like. Nicola likes to control everything and they have taken this rather drastic action. "For the Beckhams the irony isn't lost. They fell out with Meghan and Harry after they accused them of leaking stories – they were furious and Brooklyn knows that." "The two couples are very close indeed," they continued. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Record
43 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Holidaymakers branded 'mad' as they race to secure sunbed at Spanish hotel
The hilarious scenes, captured by one tourist, shows Brits queueing and sprinting to get their towel on a lounger after queuing for an hour Holidays are supposed to be relaxing - but there's one thing that's sure to stress you out on your well-earned break. Sunbed wars are a very real part of the holiday experience for thousands of tourists as the battle for a lounger begins very early in the morning in some resorts. And British holidaymakers have been dubbed 'towel warriors' after a comical video was posted showing the race for a prime spot around the pool at one Mallorca hotel. The footage was captured by Aaron Turner, 34 while he was on holiday with his fiancée Shauna Wall, 32, and their four-year-old daughter Halle. Aaron filmed the scenes at the Hotel Sol Barbados, Magaluf which saw holidaymakers queueing up, poised to be ready to sprint to the sunbeds as soon as the pool areas was opened, reports the Mirror. And Aaron, a full time content creator from Country Meath, Ireland said, every morning, they were waiting for a full hour before the opening time in anticipation of securing the best spot for the day. The video, posted to Instagram, shows sun-seekers ready and waiting at three entrances to the hotel's pool, despite their appearing to be plenty of loungers laid out. He said: "The queues would get pretty long. Once the barriers opened, all the rules went - people were jumping the queue, and some were properly running," he said. And he also highlighted the surplus of sunbeds yet pointed out that everyone was after the most coveted spots. Finding amusement in the situation, Aaron added: "I thought it was hilarious, I've seen videos of it online before but it was the first time I experienced it myself. We got a good laugh out of it." Captioning his funny video 'Sunbed races should be an Olympic sport', it shows him pretending to stretch his legs as a warm up before getting ready to join the race. Aaron's followers were quick to comment on the ludicrousness of the situation. One said: "Or you can do what I do go have breakfast and nice relaxing morning then just walk in and throw the towels off the beds I want because you can't save sun loungers." Another laughed: 'Man, this is madness'. Sunbed wars are a long-standing, long-drawn-out battle that typically marks the start of the summer. Earlier this week, the Mirror reported how a group of irate holidaymakers thwarted a cunning plan by fellow Brits to bag sun beds seven hours before their hotel pool opened on a recent Spain holiday. While having a late-night chinwag on their balcony, Mandy Boyd spotted some lads she thought were having a cheeky swim in the pool. But upon closer inspection, the 34-year-old realised the young men were trying to nab the best beds at 2am, despite the fact that the pool wasn't due to open until 9am the next day. The quartet of girls watched as the lads dragged out their sun loungers to try and secure prime spots. Mandy and her mates patiently waited on the balcony for the perfect moment to dash down and swipe the towels. The comical sun bed wars sabotage took place around 2am at the Aquasol Aparthotel, Palmanova, near Magaluf, Spain. Joined by her mate, Sally Willows, the pair dashed down to the pool and swiftly grabbed the towels. "We're just doing the Lord's work," Mandy from Bridgend, South Wales, said. "I can't stand it when people reserve sunbeds and don't use them all day. "I find it really inconsiderate. It was shocking to see them reserving beds at 2am, especially when there was no chance of those lads being up to enjoy them. We kept the towels, but made sure we left them where they would find them."
