Opera North - Leeds | 29 March 2024 |
You've been granted free access to this page.
Take a FREE 7 DAY TRIAL or SUBSCRIBE today to access the full content of theoperacritic.com.
Free access
Performance reviews
Key | Photo gallery | Production details | Video link |
CarmenOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 10 |
Opera North’s Carmen has contributed to its eternal status on stage |
15 Mar 22 / The Mancunion |
Camp, colourful and as crazy as they come |
18 Nov 21 / The Mancunion |
Carmen by Opera North was a strong reminder of what we've been missing |
12 Oct 21 / Sheffield Telegraph |
more reviews [+]
Edward Dick’s production is full of stock clichés indicative of depravity and decadence |
10 Oct 21 / The Reviews Hub |
Shockingly apposite |
7 Oct 21 / The Stage |
Both Williams and Caves find their best form in the heart rending denouement |
6 Oct 21 / Ilkley Gazette |
Crowd-pleasing, yet provocative |
6 Oct 21 / Bachtrack |
Bizet’s opera goes on a camp bunny-hop with serious ambitions |
4 Oct 21 / The Guardian |
An update that works |
4 Oct 21 / The Opera Critic |
AlcinaOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 12 |
One could set aside the complexities and get simply get lost in the spellbinding music and sterling singing |
29 Mar 22 / The Northern Echo |
The show’s themes of love, loss, and power were extremely well conveyed |
16 Mar 22 / The Mancunion |
The production becomes a display of the technical prowess of the cast |
14 Mar 22 / The Reviews Hub |
more reviews [+]
A dull staging overcome by magical singing |
26 Feb 22 / OperaWire |
Opera North's new Alcina downplays the sorcery but heightens the relationships |
13 Feb 22 / The Opera Critic |
Opera North miss a trick on Handel’s fantasy island |
13 Feb 22 / The Observer |
Irish soprano Maire Flavin’s surprisingly vulnerable Alcina leads a fine cast |
9 Feb 22 / Ilkley Gazette |
Maire Flavin was a fascinating Alcina in 1960s film star glam mode |
9 Feb 22 / Opera Today |
Opera North clear clutter but there’s not enough magic on this enchanted isle |
8 Feb 22 / The Guardian |
Tim Albery's new Alcina for Opera North lacks magic |
8 Feb 22 / Bachtrack |
An authentically Handelian performance |
7 Feb 22 / The Reviews Hub |
Opera North’s production low on magic but high on sustainability |
7 Feb 22 / Music OMH |
RigolettoOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 9 |
The combination of this dark scenery and mischievous melody expresses the whole emotional complexity of the opera |
16 Mar 22 / The Mancunion |
A stunning modern-day production |
11 Mar 22 / The Reviews Hub |
Femi Elufowoju jr’s new production takes a dramatic and remarkably compelling approach |
9 Feb 22 / Opera Today |
more reviews [+]
Femi Elufowoju jr’s imaginative reinvention of Verdi's Rigoletto features some strong, compelling performances |
7 Feb 22 / Planet Hugill |
Elufowoju’s direction is bold and decisive |
30 Jan 22 / The Reviews Hub |
Opera North once again leads the way with a striking new production |
25 Jan 22 / Music OMH |
Femi Elufowoju's contemporary take on Rigoletto for Opera North |
25 Jan 22 / Bachtrack |
Powerful update, led by stellar duo, is a revelation |
24 Jan 22 / The Guardian |
A stand out production with great singing |
24 Jan 22 / The Opera Critic |
Trouble in TahitiOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 5 |
A highly imaginative use of a classic score and a chilly reminder of the limits of the American dream |
21 Nov 21 / The Reviews Hub |
A compelling double bill |
21 Oct 21 / Ilkley Gazette |
Fractured relationships in song and dance |
19 Oct 21 / The Arts Desk |
more reviews [+]
Bernstein is at the forefront of this interesting double bill |
19 Oct 21 / The Opera Critic |
A Bernstein double-bill |
18 Oct 21 / The Reviews Hub |
FidelioOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 3 |
Soprano Rachel Nicholls shone as Leonore |
18 Jun 21 / The Reviews Hub |
Rachel Nicholls brings a heroic Wagnerian quality to the title role of Leonore |
16 Jun 21 / Ilkley Gazette |
On a remarkable evening in Leeds Town Hall, we all came stumbling into the sunlight like the prisoners in Don Pizarro’s jail |
13 Jun 21 / The Reviews Hub |
associated articles [+]
Opera North announces live performances of ‘Fidelio’
The company will present Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” which will be the first large-scale production for over a year as the company builds back towards a fuller program of public events.
The company will present Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” which will be the first large-scale production for over a year as the company builds back towards a fuller program of public events.
FidelioOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 10 |
Opera North’s gripping Beethoven led a week of inventive filmed opera |
20 Dec 20 / The Observer |
Despite social distancing and minimal movement, the result is remarkably dramatic |
20 Dec 20 / The Reviews Hub |
A wonderful concert staging in the most trying of times |
16 Dec 20 / Music OMH |
more reviews [+]
Opera North triumphs with electrifying take on Beethoven's radical opera |
15 Dec 20 / The Guardian |
Mark Wigglesworth reveals his innate grasp of pacing and every member of his cast shines |
15 Dec 20 / Wharfedale Observer |
Adaptation leaves Beethoven's music in all its glory |
15 Dec 20 / The Arts Desk |
Opera North’s stripped-down Fidelio commemorates Beethoven’s 250th |
15 Dec 20 / Seen and Heard |
Beethoven's Fidelio as fervent prayer in Leeds |
15 Dec 20 / Bachtrack |
Imprisonment in the time of COVID-19 |
14 Dec 20 / The Opera Critic |
A company achievement, fielding its largest stage ensemble for quite some time |
14 Dec 20 / Planet Hugill |
Die sieben TodsundenOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 6 |
A powerful 35 minutes, but fun as well |
29 Nov 20 / The Reviews Hub |
It maybe a Weill but give Opera North’s The Seven Deadly Sins a chance if you can |
25 Nov 20 / Seen and Heard |
Opera North's Seven Deadly Sins is interpreted with enormous verve |
25 Nov 20 / Bachtrack |
more reviews [+]
Viscerally thrilling |
24 Nov 20 / The Arts Desk |
Hollywood highs and Depression lows with uncanny resonances |
24 Nov 20 / The Guardian |
Gary Clarke’s production emphasised the darkness of the work |
23 Nov 20 / Opera Today |
Street SceneOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 11 |
A testament to working-class struggle and the struggle of women |
4 Apr 20 / The Mancunion |
A finely-wrought staging |
5 Mar 20 / The Northern Echo |
A superbly conducted, well sung and impeccably designed production of Kurt Weill’s ‘Broadway opera' |
22 Feb 20 / Music OMH |
more reviews [+]
Opera North's Street Scene is full of vim and verve |
18 Feb 20 / The Opera Critic |
Love thy neighbour |
28 Jan 20 / The Critics' Circle |
Opera North revels in a night on the town with Kurt Weill |
27 Jan 20 / The Observer |
Street Scene will be a delight to lovers of Weill’s Americana |
26 Jan 20 / The Reviews Hub |
Intricate staging of Kurt Weill’s opera |
21 Jan 20 / The Stage |
Opera North's thrilling Street Scene brings Golden Age Broadway to Leeds |
21 Jan 20 / Bachtrack |
Full justice for murder in Manhattan |
20 Jan 20 / The Guardian |
An unfussy and sympathetic production – shame Kurt Weill’s opera is a snooze |
20 Jan 20 / Telegraph |
The Turn of the ScrewOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 4 |
Alessandro Talevi resonates with even more disturbing undertones |
1 Mar 20 / Ilkley Gazette |
Opera North, under the direction of Alessandro Talevi, puts on a well done production of The Turning of the Screw |
23 Feb 20 / The Reviews Hub |
Opera North deliver a chilling Turn of the Screw |
20 Feb 20 / Opera Today |
more reviews [+]
Madeleine Boyd’s set and costumes create a sense of stifling seclusion |
17 Feb 20 / Music OMH |
Le nozze di FigaroOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 7 |
The warm response from a full house was richly deserved |
1 Mar 20 / Ilkley Gazette |
The warm response from a full house was richly deserved |
19 Feb 20 / Ilkley Gazette |
Progresses at a rapid lick |
5 Feb 20 / On: Yorkshire Magazine |
more reviews [+]
Joyous and witty |
4 Feb 20 / The Stage |
Exuberant revival of Opera North's Marriage of Figaro |
4 Feb 20 / Bachtrack |
It is entertaining from beginning to end |
4 Feb 20 / The Reviews Hub |
A genuinely funny, true ‘company’ version of Mozart’s great work |
3 Feb 20 / Music OMH |
Duke Bluebeard's CastleOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 3 |
One hell of a concert |
13 Dec 19 / The Spectator |
Opera North’s concert performance gets right to the heart of Bartók’s opera |
9 Dec 19 / The Observer |
A perfectly balanced programme |
1 Dec 19 / The Reviews Hub |
La bohèmeOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 6 |
An impressive and deeply engaging production of Puccini’s La bohème |
7 Dec 19 / The Mancunion |
Renato Balsadonna conducts Opera North’s La bohème empathetically, but time this production was retired |
15 Nov 19 / Seen and Heard |
The production has returned reinvigorated with two new international casts |
31 Oct 19 / The Northern Echo |
more reviews [+]
the orchestra was the star of the show in this welcome return of Phyllida Lloyd’s straightforward, mostly unsentimental production |
24 Oct 19 / Music OMH |
Opera North again put on an excellent performance |
15 Oct 19 / The Reviews Hub |
Another sparkling revival of La bohème by Opera North |
15 Oct 19 / Bachtrack |
Giulio Cesare in EgittoOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 7 |
Rare, abbreviated, yet superbly staged performance of Handel’s Giulio Cesare from Opera North |
18 Nov 19 / Seen and Heard |
The vocal performances are what matter here |
17 Nov 19 / The Reviews Hub |
A Giulio Cesare well worth seeing |
2 Oct 19 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
Opera North's inventive Giulio Cesare a stirring tribute to Handel |
1 Oct 19 / Bachtrack |
Albery’s production is austere yet rich in association, singer-focused and a true company endeavour |
30 Sep 19 / Music OMH |
Vicious scheming and visual splendour, but seduction too: Opera North's revival of Handel's Giulio Cesare |
30 Sep 19 / Planet Hugill |
The Baroque style is superbly captured by an accomplished international cast |
30 Sep 19 / Wharfedale Observer |
The Greek PassionOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 11 |
The Greek Passion is a triumph for the Opera North Chorus and designer Charles Edwards |
18 Nov 19 / The Reviews Hub |
A terrific company achievement |
30 Sep 19 / Planet Hugill |
A powerful Martinů rarity |
29 Sep 19 / The Observer |
more reviews [+]
Opera North redonne sa chance (avec succès !) à The Greek Passion de Bohuslav Martinu |
27 Sep 19 / Opera Online (French) |
The Greek Passion resonates just as much today than it did over 60 years ago |
22 Sep 19 / The Reviews Hub |
Martinů's gripping Greek Passion from Opera North |
19 Sep 19 / Opera Today |
Opera North brings Martinu's opera powerfully to life |
18 Sep 19 / The Opera Critic |
Accessible and affecting |
18 Sep 19 / The Stage |
Martinů’s fierce opera brings home refugee crisis |
17 Sep 19 / The Guardian |
Pertinence and power |
16 Sep 19 / The Arts Desk |
An opera for our times |
16 Sep 19 / Bachtrack |
AidaOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 10 |
This is a production that really does prove that less staging really is more |
16 Jun 19 / The Reviews Hub |
Annabel Arden’s concept makes Verdi’s opera seem strikingly relevant |
30 May 19 / Wharfedale Observer |
The evening proved that the right kind of opera works equally well, sometimes better, away from the opera house |
23 May 19 / The York Press |
more reviews [+]
An unforgettable Aida where less is more |
23 May 19 / The Opera Critic |
Une Aïda jouissive à l'Opera North de Leeds |
14 May 19 / Opera Online (French) |
Alexandra Zabala (Aida) and Alessandra Volpe (Amneris) make memorable Opera North debuts |
12 May 19 / The Reviews Hub |
Innovative and daring, Opera North delights with its production of Aida |
7 May 19 / The Scarborough News |
Opera North rethinks Verdi's epic with formidable results |
3 May 19 / The Guardian |
A triumph of music-making from a powerhouse company |
3 May 19 / Telegraph |
A radical approach to an operatic warhorse by Opera North |
3 May 19 / Bachtrack |
Die ZauberflöteOpera NorthNo. of reviews: 12 |
Opera North stuns audiences with magical Mozart production |
14 Mar 19 / The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times |
Opera North’s uneven new production of Magic Flute lacks clarity in Salford |
11 Mar 19 / Seen and Heard |
Opera North bring an entirely accessible production to a wide-ranging audience |
7 Mar 19 / The Reviews Hub |
more reviews [+]
Destination unknown |
3 Feb 19 / The Critics' Circle |
Was it all a dream in Opera North’s new Magic Flute? |
28 Jan 19 / The Observer |
James Brining needs to learn that, in opera, less is more |
26 Jan 19 / The York Press |
An ambitious production |
22 Jan 19 / The Stage |
A fetching, inventive Magic Flute – with a dark side |
22 Jan 19 / Bachtrack |
A good-looking production which lacks the necessary magic |
21 Jan 19 / Telegraph |
Dark, eclectic and disquieting |
21 Jan 19 / The Guardian |
This conventional staging enlivened by whizzy video effects is sandbagged by a lack of energy |
21 Jan 19 / The Times |
The company of Opera North put on an outstanding performance |
21 Jan 19 / The Reviews Hub |
Reviews search
Performance schedule
Mozart
2 Feb to 6 Apr 2024
Loewe
31 May to 29 Jun 2024
Mozart
27 Sep 2024 to 29 Mar 2025
Britten
12 Oct to 20 Nov 2024
Gilbert & Sullivan
26 Oct to 21 Nov 2024
Weill
16 to 18 Jan 2025
Wagner
1 Feb to 28 Mar 2025
Mozart
20 Feb to 20 Mar 2025
Verdi
24 Apr to 24 May 2025
News & Articles
Opera North mourns death of Company Manager |
The company took to social media to announce, "It is with huge sadness that Opera North learned this week of the death of our much-loved Company Manager, Jane Bonner." |
7 Oct 2023 / OperaWire |
Knighthood for Opera North director Richard Mantle |
The long-serving director of Opera North has been awarded a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours. |
17 Jun 2023 / BBC News |
Opera North General Director to retire in 2023 |
Opera North has announced that Richard Mantle will retire as General Director in 2023 after almost 30 years of leading the Company. |
13 Sep 2022 / OperaWire |
Opera North announces 2022-23 season |
The season begins in September 2022 with a revival of Alessandro Talevi’s well received Belle Époque production of La traviata. |
10 Mar 2022 / Broadway World |
Opera North launches new female conductor traineeship |
Female conductors based in the UK are being called on to apply for an intensive new ten-week training scheme aimed at addressing the gender balance in conducting and classical music. |
16 Jul 2021 / Classical-music.com |