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The Herald Scotland
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
'A real show-stopper' - Review: Suor Angelica at Perth Festival
St Ninian's Cathedral, Perth Keith Bruce four stars The three steps up to a specially-constructed performance platform created in the middle of Perth Cathedral could not compete with the grand staircase that dominated Sir David McVicar's recent Scottish Opera staging of the central opera in Puccini's Il Trittico trilogy, but they were emblematic of the more compact success of Opera Bohemia's version in partnership with Amicus Orchestra. Douglas Nairne's production makes the fullest possible use of the venue, which is a new one for the festival with more open sight-lines than St John's Kirk and ample room for the orchestra, which was placed beyond the stage, with the singers often making their entrances from behind the audience. That device made the most of the reverberant acoustic for the choruses, while the instrumentalists, under the very attentive and often exuberant baton of Alistair Digges, always sounded in focus, with well-balanced wind soloists and a rich string sound. A couple of keyboards provide crucial extra sonic colour when required. Read more With simple costuming, stylish stage blocking, and minimal props, the tragic tale of Sister Angelica, rejected by her family for falling pregnant and estranged from her son, unfolds in classic story-book fashion, much of the work done by Puccini's masterly scoring. In soprano Jenny Stafford, who covered the role for English National Opera, Bohemia have a fine new recruit to the more familiar faces in the company. Absolutely on top of the part vocally, she avoids any melodrama in a performance of affecting sincerity, her aria when she learns of the death of her child a real show-stopper. Around her the women swiftly create the impression of a strict but mutually-supportive community into which Angelica's aunt, The Princess, steps as the embodiment of moral severity. Mezzo Louise Collett's nuanced approach to that role is as impressive, the latest of a series of fine performances for the company. Sioned Gwen Davies, Cheryl Forbes and Monica McGhee add important solo voices, and the ensemble of the ten women is the production's heart, suggestive of more rehearsal time together than was probably actually available. Although it is being seen elsewhere – including a performance on the Isle of Bute on Saturday - this is a contribution to Perth Festival of the Arts truly in the tradition of the bespoke opera productions of the event's earliest years, and it should set a template for the future.
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Daily Record
Scotland's best places to retire named as 'beautiful' destination tops list
One retirement hotspot was praised for its museums and cafés. Scotland's "best places to retire" have been named. Two destinations have been singled out as top locations to settle down for retirees. When deciding on a place to retire, there are many things to think about. Affordability, the abundance of green space, and the number of cafés and restaurants are among the factors to consider. Travel experts at Rest Less have shared a list of "14 of the best places to retire in the UK". They considered factors such as property prices, crime rates, amenities, and entertainment when putting together their list. Coming in at number one for Scotland is Edinburgh. The Scottish capital also placed at number 11 on the UK-wide list. Rest Less praised Edinburgh for its many historic sites and museums. Among the top attractions in the city for those with an interest in history are Edinburgh Castle and The Real Mary King's Close. The experts also described the Scottish capital as a top destination for food. As well as multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, the city has a wealth of beloved and hidden-gem eateries around every corner. However, Rest Less noted that property in the city is significantly more expensive when compared to elsewhere in Scotland. According to the experts, the average price of a house in Edinburgh is £338,307. Rest Less commented: "This beautiful and cosmopolitan town has plenty going for it, with dozens of historic sites, museums, and attractions—not to mention hundreds of cafes and pubs! The Edinburgh Fringe is also the world's biggest arts festival, and there's always something creative going on here." Meanwhile, the other Scottish destination to be featured on the list of the top places to retire is Glasgow. Scotland's largest city came in at number 13 on the overall list. Rest Less singled out Glasgow for being a more affordable alternative to Edinburgh when it comes to property. The average house price in the city was found to be £229,959. Glasgow was also noted for its central location. Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, and more are all easily reached by rail and bus. The experts described the city as a "national hub of culture". It is home to the Scottish Opera, the Scottish Ballet, the National Theatre of Scotland, and more. Glasgow is also a top destination for golf enthusiasts according to Rest Less. The city features approximately 90 golf courses in a 30-minute radius. The experts stated: "Though Glasgow traditionally had a reputation for being rather gritty, these days it's a national hub of culture. Home to the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, and National Theatre of Scotland, if you like attending a good show, you'll be spoilt for choice. "Glasgow also has an unusually high number of golf courses, with around 90 within an hour of the city." Elsewhere, topping the overall list as the best place to retire in the UK is Plymouth. The experts praised the English city for its seaside cafés and restaurants and historic pubs. See below for the full list of the 14 best places to retire in the UK. More information about each one can be found on the Rest Less website. 14 of the best places to retire in the UK Plymouth York Swansea Sussex Cornwall Belfast The Lake District Norfolk Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Newcastle-upon-Tyne Glasgow Lincolnshire
Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Trial by Jury/A Matter of Misconduct review — modern farce meets G&S
New operas are rare enough, new operettas rarer still. So Scottish Opera deserves credit not only for putting operetta at the centre of its summer season, but also for commissioning one to sit alongside a classic of the genre. A Matter of Misconduct, at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, is set in the Downing Street press room, and centres on a hapless politician in a party leadership election. Where on earth could it have found its inspiration? Emma Jenkins's libretto channels Armando Iannucci's The Thick of It in its unflinching exposé of political error and human frailty. It even has a foul-mouthed Scot as a spin doctor, played gamely by Jamie MacDougall. Jenkins's language zings along — you have to take your hat off
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Trial by Jury/A Matter of Misconduct! review – gags and Spads in Scottish Opera's sparkling double bill
Ten years after conductor Stuart Stratford left Opera Holland Park to begin a stabilising and fruitful relationship as Scottish Opera's music director, the traffic this summer is in the other direction in a trio of co-productions, originating in Scotland, with D'Oyly Carte Opera a third partner. As John Savournin's broad and brassy The Merry Widow tours across Scotland before its London transfer, this new double bill adds a 150th anniversary revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's first success and a contemporary political satire to a colourful package. Savournin also directs Trial By Jury, which swaps the courtroom for a TV studio in a sparkling update that is more Jerry Springer than Judge Judy. Patter-song master Richard Suart is The Learned Judge – who eventually gets the girl, jilted bride Angelina (soprano Kira Kaplan) – and company favourite Jamie MacDougall is on his best camp form as the Defendant, Edwin. Kally Lloyd-Jones gives the Bridesmaids, led by Amy J Payne, some laugh-out-loud geriatric cheerleader choreography to complement their outrageous frocks, and the jurors' diverse costuming runs the gamut from lab coat and dress kilt to TV-am sweater and perm. Edward Jowle (as Floor Manager/Usher) is one of a quartet of young singers on the company's Emerging Artists programme given the chance to shine in both shows. In the pit, Toby Hession conducts a swaggering account of Sullivan's music; Hession is also the composer of the double bill's new operetta set in the press room at No 9 Downing Street. His score also owes debts to Sondheim and John Adams and plays with its heritage stylishly in Laura Attridge's production. Hession and librettist Emma Jenkins have been nurtured through short pieces for Scottish Opera's small-scale touring and A Matter of Misconduct! is a sophisticated extension of those projects, with baritone Ross Cumming as ambitious politician Roger Penistone (fnar, fnar) and mezzo Chloe Harris his wife, Cherry, a would-be wellness guru (or 'Poundshop Paltrow'). There are gags aplenty at the expense of politicians in Westminster and Holyrood, and possibly the first operatic rhyming of both 'vaginal dryness' and 'clitoral stimulator', but this pacy piece also finds room for some stratospheric coloratura from Kaplan as sassy lawyer Sylvia Lawless, and a lovely duet for the rather unlovely central couple. Tenor MacDougall, as Malcolm Tucker-esque Spad, Sandy Hogg, handles the score's trickier music with aplomb. At Theatre Royal, Glasgow, on 16 May. Then at Festival theatre, Edinburgh, on 30 May and 6 June and Opera Holland Park, London, on 24 and 26 June.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Trial by Jury/A Matter of Misconduct!: Sparky proof that musical comedy is tricky to get right
Operetta rules in the current season at Scottish Opera: following the well-received Merry Widow comes a sparky double-bill of satire old and new, combining Gilbert and Sullivan's first hit, Trial by Jury of 1875, with the newly commissioned A Matter of Misconduct!, written by librettist Emma Jenkins and conductor Toby Hession around the topical travails of a scandal-hit politician. They make for a pungent and diverting couple of hours with plenty of laughs, even if they both prove that musical comedy is the most tricky of genres. The barbs of Gilbert's wit still hit their mark, in the judge's account of his rapid rise to fame, and his prejudiced running of this case of a breach of promise of marriage, so that he ends up with the jilted bride. But it is Sullivan's fluent, perfectly judged score that brings the story to life, with its effortless parodies of the opera composers of his day. The funny thing about parodies is that they are often just as hilarious if you don't know their origins; I loved Trial by Jury as a boy, long before I knew the Bellini ensemble sent up in 'A nice dilemma we have here'. In this modest updating by John Savourin, the courtroom has been turned into a TV game show (allowing a couple of female jurors, and a female Counsel to the Plaintiff), with Richard Stuart's frisky judge as its centrepiece on Wednesday, classically enunciated but no longer quite secure enough of pitch. The insouciant lyricism needed from the dastardly defendant Edwin was beyond Jamie MacDougall, so he blustered, while his opposite number the plaintiff Kira Kaplan won all hearts. A Matter of Misconduct! revolves round Sylvia Lawless's attempts at reputation management as Roger Penistone (the flamboyant Ross Cumming), candidate for the leadership of the party, copes with his errant wife Cherry, a wellness guru with a touch of Gwyneth and Meghan (Chloe Harris). The two pieces have overlapping casts, which on the night showed versatility but proved too demanding – in the second piece, MacDougall's Alastair Campbell/The Thick of It Scotsman was excellently hard-hitting, while Kaplan's frosty Lawless was too stretched by a range whose frequent top notes stopped the words working. Edward Jowie as Usher and then Press Secretary was strong in both pieces. There was positive audience reaction for some Scots-oriented jokes about motorhomes, but the tone shifted uneasily in a winsome husband-and-wife scene for the Penistones, 'Can we make it work?', where Toby Hession's effective motorik film-music score shifted into sub-Sondheim mode. Direction in both pieces, by Savourin in Trial by Jury and Laura Attridge in A Matter of Misconduct!, was slick and tight-knit, with designs by takis and lighting by Ben Pickersgill. Toby Hession conducted both pieces with flair, and D'Oyly Carte Opera were co-producers, taking the G&S legacy into a new generation. Further performances in Glasgow on May 16, Edinburgh on May 30 and June 6 and Opera Holland Park on June 24-26;
