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Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Opera review: INO take on l'Elisir d'Amore provides ridiculously good fun
l'Elisir d'Amore, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, ★★★★★ If you ever meet someone who claims opera is boring and unfun, send them to Cal McCrystal's wacky and wild (west) take on Donizetti's endearing love comedy l'Elisir d'Amore. Send them right now! His production for Irish National Opera is ridiculously good fun, and hasn't a boring moment across a riotous, good-humoured, saucy and physical two-and-a-half hours. We're used to classic opera getting far-flung, anachronistic settings. It's one of the main tools in the director's bag when it comes to reinvigorating or reinterpreting works we think we know all too well. An excellent 2013 Northern Ireland Opera version of this was set in a 1950s American highschool, for instance. Subtract about a 100 years from that, and you have McCrystal's time and place. Chorus numbers become hoedowns, Abraham Lincoln appears in the theatre (and even survives all the way to the curtain), while Claudia Boyle's Adina becomes a Scarlett O'Hara-type figure. But McCrystal doesn't stop there. He piles on the visual gags: there's a couple who've stepped out of American Gothic, pitchfork and all; a Laurel and Hardy japering about; and Keystone cops bungling in and out. Bass baritone John Molloy was a delight as the quack doctor Dulcamara in the 2013 staging. Here, his brand of sardonic, knowing humour is given even more rein as a Wild West snake oil salesman. He gets a speaking part too, where he introduces and comments on the action, ably assisted by his factotum Truffaldino. Ian O'Reilly brings great craft to that speaking role. His incarnation of a ventriloquist's dummy at one point is a real hoot. Gianluca Margheri, Claudia Boyle and Duke Kim in l'Elisir d'Amore. Picture: Ros Kavanagh It's exactly what you'd expect from McCrystal, whose physical comedy credits include the Paddington films and One Man, Two Guvnors. His brand of slapstick rather misfired in the Abbey's revival of Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inish in 2019, but he never misses a trick here. Of McCrystal's numerous movie references, the hardest to miss is Nemorino, Dulcamara's sucker for the titular love potion, and besotted with Adina. He's dressed precisely as Woody from Toy Story, with tenor Duke Kim following the cue of that getup. He accentuates his character's naivety all the way up to an innocently poignant take on the famed aria Una Furtiva Lagrima. The keen-eyed will spot not "Andy" written on the sole of his foot, but 'Adina', a typically acute detail in Sarah Bacon's superb costumes, which she casts against a relatively sparse, cactus-dotted set. Sara Jane Sheils' lighting is inspired by the shifting tones you'd see in the prairie sky, and neatly marks the progress of time in a plot that hinges on what will or won't happen today or tomorrow. Amid the uniformly excellent cast, Boyle shows her acting and singing chops to equal measure, delivering comedy, pathos, and sparkle as needed, and singing astoundingly throughout. Gianluca Margheri is charisma itself as Nemorino's rival Belcore, musclebound and really not afraid to show us! His interactions with a chorus full of delineated characters is great fun. Throughout, the words and lines bounce along as the score is deftly marshalled by Erina Yashima, leading the INO orchestra in lively form.
South Wales Argus
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Horses on parade as Sandown honours John Hales
Hales died in January at the age of 85 but his influence in racing has been felt consistently over the past decades with his famous yellow silks sported by some of the most popular National Hunt horses. In recent years Hales joined forces with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason, and both were on hand to present the special award to Hales' widow Pat and daughter Lisa at the annual presentations which preceded the action on the final day of the season. John Hales with Sir Alex Ferguson (centre) and Ged Mason (right) (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA) Former Manchester United manager Ferguson paid tribute to his friend and his love of grey horses and said: 'He was a fantastic man with a great eye for a horse. He loved his grey horses and I don't know why he did, but he had an obsession with grey horses and some of them were fantastic. 'He was a great mind and a kind man and we'll miss him. His passions were his horses and Aston Villa and he was a winner. He loved the sport no matter how they performed but he liked to win.' Mason added: 'It was a great tribute by Sandown to give us the opportunity to remember what a great man John Hales was and not just to his friends and family, but also to racing and the wider racing community. 'His achievements are second to none and it's easier to say what races he hasn't won rather than the ones he has one. Hopefully we can continue his legacy into the future with Sir Alex and with Pat and Lisa's enthusiasm alongside us, I'm sure we will.' The horses of John Hales are paraded at Sandown (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA) The great One Man is perhaps one of Hales' most famous horses, while he also won the Grand National with Neptune Collonges. The Aintree hero – who famously struck in the narrowest of fashions in the hands of Daryl Jacob in 2012 – was amongst six of Hales' horses to be paraded before racing, with others taking a lap of the parade ring including Champion Chase hero Politologue and last year's Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat. Lisa Hales added: 'Dad loved jump racing and he loved Sandown Park, so it is very touching that he will be remembered with the Sandown Park Special Award. 'From the days of the great One Man right up to L'Eau Du Sud's success in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at the end of last year, there were many great occasions for us at Sandown Park over years and it is a huge for the Hales family that dad is honoured in this way.' Neptune Collonges was on parade at Sandown (Steven Paston/PA) In recent years, Hales – along with his co-owners – has been central to the continued success of Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat operation, with the 14-time champion trainer hoping this year's stars Caldwell Potter and Kalif Du Berlais continue to fly the flag for Hales' memory. 'What an enthusiast John was. To involve his family and his pals in those horses, they've had so much fun,' said Nicholls. 'It's an exciting time with Caldwell Potter and Kalif Du Berlais, with plenty of younger ones at home. Olly Murphy has a few nice ones for them as well as Dan (Skelton), so we're all looking forward to next season.'
Rhyl Journal
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Horses on parade as Sandown honours John Hales
Hales died in January at the age of 85 but his influence in racing has been felt consistently over the past decades with his famous yellow silks sported by some of the most popular National Hunt horses. In recent years Hales joined forces with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason, and both were on hand to present the special award to Hales' widow Pat and daughter Lisa at the annual presentations which preceded the action on the final day of the season. Former Manchester United manager Ferguson paid tribute to his friend and his love of grey horses and said: 'He was a fantastic man with a great eye for a horse. He loved his grey horses and I don't know why he did, but he had an obsession with grey horses and some of them were fantastic. 'He was a great mind and a kind man and we'll miss him. His passions were his horses and Aston Villa and he was a winner. He loved the sport no matter how they performed but he liked to win.' Mason added: 'It was a great tribute by Sandown to give us the opportunity to remember what a great man John Hales was and not just to his friends and family, but also to racing and the wider racing community. 'His achievements are second to none and it's easier to say what races he hasn't won rather than the ones he has one. Hopefully we can continue his legacy into the future with Sir Alex and with Pat and Lisa's enthusiasm alongside us, I'm sure we will.' The great One Man is perhaps one of Hales' most famous horses, while he also won the Grand National with Neptune Collonges. The Aintree hero – who famously struck in the narrowest of fashions in the hands of Daryl Jacob in 2012 – was amongst six of Hales' horses to be paraded before racing, with others taking a lap of the parade ring including Champion Chase hero Politologue and last year's Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat. Lisa Hales added: 'Dad loved jump racing and he loved Sandown Park, so it is very touching that he will be remembered with the Sandown Park Special Award. 'From the days of the great One Man right up to L'Eau Du Sud's success in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at the end of last year, there were many great occasions for us at Sandown Park over years and it is a huge for the Hales family that dad is honoured in this way.' In recent years, Hales – along with his co-owners – has been central to the continued success of Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat operation, with the 14-time champion trainer hoping this year's stars Caldwell Potter and Kalif Du Berlais continue to fly the flag for Hales' memory. 'What an enthusiast John was. To involve his family and his pals in those horses, they've had so much fun,' said Nicholls. 'It's an exciting time with Caldwell Potter and Kalif Du Berlais, with plenty of younger ones at home. Olly Murphy has a few nice ones for them as well as Dan (Skelton), so we're all looking forward to next season.'
BBC News
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Racehorse owner John Hales dies at age of 85
Leading Midlands-based racehorse owner John Hales - who owned the great grey One Man as well as Grand National winner Neptune Collonges - has died at the age of made his money through the Golden Bear Toys company he co-founded in 1979, which went on to produce major children's shows such as the Teletubbies, the Basil Brush Show, Thomas the Tank Engine and In The Night Garden, from their business in Telford, in he was best known for his work in sporting circles, most notably with the greatly loved One Man, trained in Cumbria by the late Gordon Richards, and his Aintree winner, the Paul Nicholls-trained Neptune Collonges almost two decades later in Man famously won the King George VI Chase twice in 1995 and 1996. But, although he failed to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he dropped in trip to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Festival in 1998 - a race he won again with Azertyuiop (2004) and Politologue (2020).In his latter years, Hales has enjoyed shared joint ownership with legendary ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Peter Done and Ged paid 740,000 euro last year for Caldwell Potter, who is in training with former champion trainer said on X: "It is with great sadness to report that John Hales passed away last evening. "A great man and a fantastic owner and friend for many people. Thoughts with his wife Pat and his wonderful family. He will be missed by so many in racing. RIP John."Hales was at Windsor to enjoy his last winner just 12 days ago when Harry Skelton rode Protektorat, for brother Dan Skelton, to a 22-length win over Venetia Williams' Djelo in the Fleur De Lys Chase.
