| Madame Butterfly 2025: I will come to the point straight away: This performance was exceptional, not exceptional for a small opera company but exceptional in absolute terms. I had not expected the scale of the production with at times around 30 performers on stage and a superb 25 piece orchestra. The staging was intelligent and creative, a scenic backdrop to the performance and making maximum use of the broad stage of the Roxburgh Theatre. The moving boats in the distance and the birds in the tree added to the atmosphere and I must make special mention of the scenes seen in silhouette. These were beautifully delivered with such delicacy of hand movement. The singing was fabulous, with Heming Li, a slight and fragile looking Butterfly, dellvered a truly virtuoso performance. One Fine Day, the best known passage of the opera, was simply breathtaking. In my experience, British audiences tend to be less vocal than in other countries but the spontaneous bravos came forth and were richly deserved. But the other performances were excellent too, a case in point being the vocal delivery of the drinking of the toast scene which was superb. The emotion ramped up as the opera progressed and I found an angry and emotional Butterfly totally convincing and the whole company delivered a compelling performance. The orchestra was cohesive and the delicacy of the quieter passages made the dramatic crescendos incredibly impactful. The Roxburgh Theatre gave a somewhat rare opportunity to be up close and personal with the orchestra and several times I was surprised by the sheer physical impact of the orchestra at full bore. I am very much aware that this seems a rather one-sided review and I have not made any criticisms. The simple truth is that I have none to bring forward as I simply loved the whole performance. Madame Butterfly was an emotional ride. Great opera has the power to draw you in and this was a great opera. Bravo! Andy Crossey, 3Bs Radio |
| The Wreckers by Ethel Smyth, 2018: “What marked out the evening was teamwork. The palpable enthusiasm of the chorus, whose business was properly organised, was shared by the professional soloists” Martin Dreyer, Opera Magazine |
| The Wreckers by Ethel Smyth, 2018: “Arcadian Opera’s production reveals the stature of Ethel Smyth’s ambitious work.… The cast give a good account of themselves…. Steven East’s fanatical Pascoe and April Fredrick’s Avis head the alarming contingent of villagers, with the chorus’s vengeful hue and cry not far behind. Verdict: ★★★★“ George Hall, The Stage |
| Dido and Anaeas by Henry Purcell, 2020: “Among the first to offer a complete opera (after Covid lockdown) was Arcadian Opera, stealing a march on the many productions of Dido and Aeneas…Ali Marshall’s direction worked very effectively. Arcadian Opera’s music director Justin Lavender conducted a lithe and sprightly performance…. the chorus blended well and sang as sailors and witches with relish.” John Allison, Opera Magazine |