ED FRINGE 2010: Opera Sins – St Andrew’s and St George’s West

Director: George Ransley

Musical Director: Nicholas Fletcher

Reviewer: Greig Ratcliff

The Public Reviews Rating:

The wonder of ESO is the poised and professional performance they never fail to deliver. Even with such a succinct and contained show such as ‘Opera Sins’, the scenes are rounded and polished, delivered with panache and flair and are enjoyable for many. Indeed, ESO hold that rare ability to make every performance seem personal, to make their productions more accessible and as a result, to make their work hugely entertaining.

The concept of seven deadly sins is represented by, admittedly, popular scenes from classic opera from Monteverdi to Britten. The show is hugely dynamic and varied, and it is refreshing to see the cast using the entirety of the venue (rather than simply the stage) to flourish their execution. Without doubt my favourite scene was of ‘The Gingerbread House’ from ‘Hansel and Gretel’ by Humperdinck, representing the sin of Gluttony. Entering from the right of the audience, Hansel (Rachel Timney) and Gretel (Laura Reading) discover the Gingerbread House where the witch (Deborah Miller) is hiding, ensnaring them into her trap. The entire set up worked perfectly: the vision of the two children being lured by the witch, who tempts from high up on the balcony; the comically expressive faces of Reading and Timney portraying their lust for the house; the blend of the voices, which really did combine to give a beautiful and resonate sound. Special mention really must also go to Nicholas Fletcher, musical director and pianist for all seven of the scenes.

On a slightly lesser note, some of the scenes were interrupted by one of the church doors opening and closing, banging and almost ruining some very good opera: not until the second or third scene did somebody from front of house resolve the situation, when it was obvious that they were aware of the problem before the performance started. It is a pity seeing as this was no fault of the performers as it did detract from the show, and it would seem a trivial point to mention but sadly it did affect quite a few members of the audience. Nevertheless, as I have said in the past if ESO are performing you would be a fool not to book your ticket. This set of scenes was no exception and I can firmly say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.