The Magic Flute

First of all, let me say how nice it was to see you for the first time. I was sorry not to be able to come to your previous production, but I had heard good things about you, and I was certainly not disappointed.

The opera is not always easy to stage, and this is especially true if the stage is small. It has so many set requirements that it can be daunting, but Director CAROLE FISHER-GRANT had found a simple way of staging it and, with well designed scenery, managed to convey all the various aspects of the opera. This was undoubtedly helped by some good and atmospheric lighting, particularly in Act 2, where the initiations of Fire and Water were well done, and good sound effects, especially the bird song. The costumes looked beautiful, particularly that of the Queen of the Night, which was stunning, and I liked the way the animals had been done.

The small orchestra worked well in that hall and the balance between singers and players was good. JOHN UPPERTON as Music Director welded the work together with skill and the standard of musicianship was high.

There were some excellent performances. MARK NORWOOD used his fine singing voice to perfection as Papageno, but also brought a delightful naivete to the role, showing considerable acting skills, and his comic touches were well judged and timed. JULIA RAEBURN was an equally delightful Papagena, full of life.

I very muched enjoyed the performance of IAN PRIESTLY as Tamino. His voice was rich and warm, never showing any signs of strain or effort, and he made the character live and breathe.

JULIE-DAWN LLOYD as Pamina seemed to me in Act 1 to be rather detached, but she produced more fire in the second act, and seemed to become more confortable in the role as the opera progressed.

GODFREY KELSEY-JANSEN was a fiery Monostatos, prowling the stage and producing a good characterisation.

The role of the Queen of the Night is such a tricky one that I always feel Mozart took out his frustrations on her. JANETTE DAWES made a good attempt, but I felt she could have dominated her scenes more. In Act 1, she was rather low-key, but the Act 2 aria was well sung, although the furthest extremities of notes were parhaps a little fudged.

DANNY PARASHCHAK was an impressive Sarastro, his full rich bass shown to advantage, and he had a commanding presence on the stage.

It was a pity that SANDRA GRAHAM was unable to continue in the role of First Lady, but CAROLE FISHER-GRANT more than adequately filled the role and, with AMANDA KENT and BARBARA O'NEILL as Second and Third Ladies, produced some fine ensemble singing.

JULIE HYLAND, VALERIE WEBER and JANE HARDING sang well as the three Spirits, although there were occasions when the top line was rather weak and indistinct.

All the smaller roles were well played, and the Chorus sang very well. Their movement and participation in their scenes were well done.

It is difficult to review a show with a double cast and of course, I can only comment on the cast I saw, but I am sure the alternative cast was equally successful.

It was a most enjoyable evening and I hope to see some more of you. Thank you for inviting me on this occasion.

Valerie Jarvis, NODA

CAST

Tamino
Ian Priestley / Simon Walton
Pamina
Julie-Dawn Lloyd / Penelope-Anne Fletcher
Papageno
Mark Norwood / Kevin McRae
Papagena
Julia Raeburn / Carol-Anne Grainger
Sarastro
Danny Parashchak / John Dawswell
The Queen of the Night
Janette Dawes / Sovra Newman
First Lady
Sandra Graham / Birgit Rohowsky
Second Lady
Amanda Kent / Julie Martin-Carter
Third Lady
Barbara O'Neill / Alenka Ponjavic
First Spirit
Julie Hyland / Gabrielle Power
Second Spirit
Valerie Weber / Kerry Bott
Third Spirit
Jane Harding / Marilyn Akalay-Watkin
Monostatos
Godfrey Kelsey-Jansen / Simon Peck
First Armed Man
Richard Rook / Godfrey Kelsey-Jansen
Second Armed Man / Speaker
Vincent Morrissey / Tim Baldwin
First Priest
Peter Martin
Second Priest
Paul Hemmingway
Third Priest
Ikram Khan