The Beekeeper of Aleppo – A tale of tragedy, trauma and hope
Christy Lefteri’s bestselling book, The Beekeeper of Aleppo, is not an obvious choice for a theatre adaptation. The non-linear time frame, the journey from Syria to the UK and the nature of bees all pose challenges for staging. Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler have adapted the story in a way that conveys movement, emotional and […]
Opera North – Mozart: Requiem and Neo Muyanga: After Tears
I have known and loved Mozart’s Requiem for over 50 years, the last and, intriguingly, unfinished work by one of music’s unequivocal geniuses. I have sung in it. I have listened to dozens of performances and recordings, from church settings to concert hall, chamber choirs to major choral societies, organ accompaniment to full classical orchestra, […]
A Passionate Woman – celebrating the life of Kay Mellor at Leeds Playhouse
It has been a year since Kay Mellor died, and thirty years since this play premiered at the Yorkshire Playhouse. This revival was a celebration of Mellor, her links to Leeds – and the Playhouse. A Passionate Woman is about love, loss and family. The love for Mellor’s work was palpable in the enthusiastic reception […]
Opera North: The Pearl Fishers at Leeds Grand Theatre
Like Mozart and Schubert before him, Georges Bizet did not see out his thirties. Unlike them, his published output, from first to last, consisted of works destined solely for the theatre. Carmen, the world’s most-performed opera, would be Bizet’s last triumph. The Pearl Fishers, given here in director Matthew Eberhardt‘s new realisation for Opera North, […]
Quality Street – A Northern Bridgerton with Quality of Its Own
The Courtyard Theatre at Leeds Playhouse is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues. On several occasions, I’ve gone to see a production there that I’ve known nothing about, feeling a bit dubious, and have been thoroughly delighted to be surprised by an excellent show. ‘Quality Street’ is another such show, going to prove that […]
