Shakespeare Revisited Review

December 8, 2024

Shakespeare Revisited Review

3rd – 4th December 2024

Walking past the myriad of pubs, coffee shops and eateries that Wandsworth High Street has to offer, who would know that, turn the corner onto Chapel Yard and you will stumble upon The Clore Building, built originally as a hall in 1883. Currently home to National Opera Studio, it is a training place for young artists on the cusp of launching their professional careers.

Last week, The Studio played host to the 2024/25 Young Artists showcasing their talents in a programme titled Shakespeare Revisited – contemporary opera scenes, directed by Keith Warner. As I walked in, the warm welcome and friendliness from all the organisers was much appreciated.

“…a wonderful performance from all, clearly very much supported by staff and colleagues”

A performance in the round, the first piece was Act 2, Scene 4 from Thomas Adès’ The Tempest, which premiered at The Royal Opera House in 2004. The libretto was written by Meredith Oakes, who compressed much of Shakespeare’s text. Emyr Lloyd Jones as Ferdinand and Rachel McLean as Miranda treated us to a beautiful duet, accompanied by Egor Sergeev as Prospero and Aya Robertson on piano.

Second in the programme was Act 3, Scene 1 from Samuel Barber’s Anthony and Cleopatra. A dramatic opera in full, five of the Young Artists furnished us with this act where The Egyptian Empire is crumbling and Antony has abandoned his men in battle at sea. Olivia Rose Trigham (Cleopatra), Nancy Holt (Charmain) and Sarah Winn (Iras) crawl onto the tiny stage at one side of the room, and a powerful performance ensues, producing a glorious wall of sound, to the accompaniment of Su Choung on piano. Egor Sergeev as Alexas and Aleksander Kaczuk-Jagielnik as Antony are equally as brilliant, and bravo to Kaczuk-Jagielnik for holding his sound whilst singing mostly on his back!

We then moved on to Act 2, Player’s Scene from Humphry Searle’s Hamlet, with Luvo Maranti providing the prologue.Tringham and Kaczuk-Jagielnik enter onto the raised stage barefoot as Player King and Player Queen, greeting Horatio (Winn), King (Lloyd Jones), Rosencrantz (Holt), Queen (Ceferina Penny), Ophelia (McLean) and Player 1/Lucianus (Maranti) on the floor. Egor Sergeev plays Hamlet with mad brilliance, and Winn with Horatio too. Alistair Burton accompanied on piano.

The last two items before the interval comprised Giorgio Battistelli’s Richard III, introduced by Ana-Carmen Balestra, featuring McLean, Penny, Sergeev and Holt, with Adam McDonagh on piano, and André Tachaikowsky’s The Merchant of Venice with Maranti as Lorenzo and Penny as Jessica.

Sadly, illness prevented me from seeing the second half of the programme, but this was a wonderful performance from all, clearly very much supported by staff and colleagues, including Andrew Griffiths – Head Coach and Conductor. Every Young Artist displayed such talent that will carry them forward into their professional careers. Remember these names!