Review: Scottish Opera: The Great Wave – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

February 23, 2026February 23, 2026Leave a comment

https://www.flickr.com/photos/204241173@N04/55112398158/in/dateposted-public/ Conducted by Stuart Stratford Directed by Satoshi Miyagi Review by Eloise Robertson ★★★ Dai Fujikura and Harry Ross’ latest offering, The Great Wave, showcases a segment of Katsushika Hokusai’s life beautifully, with an eventful score and some fascinating aesthetic choices. These were almost sufficient to disguise the unfocused storyline, which became apparent when the … Continue reading Review: Scottish Opera: The Great Wave – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Review: Fawlty Towers – The Play – The Edinburgh Playhouse

January 28, 2026January 28, 2026Leave a comment

Written by John Cleese Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger Review by Eloise Robertson The Edinburgh Playhouse ★★★ Fawlty Towers: The Play follows storylines from the beloved 1970s sitcom of the same name. It will charm any farce lover or Fawlty fanatic. It does what it says on the tin, and it does it very well. … Continue reading Review: Fawlty Towers – The Play – The Edinburgh Playhouse

Review: Scottish Ballet: The Snow Queen – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

November 29, 2025December 1, 2025Leave a comment

Choreographed by Christopher Hampson CBE Music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Review by Eloise Robertson Festival Theatre ★★★★ A crystalline, emotionally generous production: visually ravishing, theatrically assured, carried by a cast and creative team who know how to make Andersen’s frostbite glow with warmth, Scottish Ballet’s The Snow Queen returns to Edinburgh. At the centre of the … Continue reading Review: Scottish Ballet: The Snow Queen – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Review: Scottish Opera: La bohème – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

November 16, 20251 Comment

https://youtu.be/_A342E5b9IM Conducted by Stuart Stratford & Toby Hession Stage Direction, Sets & Costumes by Barbe & Doucet Lighting Design by Guy Simard Review by Eloise Robertson Festival Theatre ★★★★ The curtain rises and you’re transported into a Paris of spectacle while a timeless street singer sets the stage for a crowd who’s hungry for a tune. Scottish … Continue reading Review: Scottish Opera: La bohème – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Review: Scottish Opera: La traviata – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

June 10, 2024Leave a comment

https://youtu.be/g3cRFajl2wA Composition by Guiseppe Verdi Libretto from Francesco Maria Piave after La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils Directed by Sir David McVicar Tickets from £23.00 ★★★★ Masquerading the tragedy about to unfold, the simple, heartfelt opening of Scottish Opera’s revival of Sir David McVicar’s La traviata finds the love-sick Alfredo outside a lavish … Continue reading Review: Scottish Opera: La traviata – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

The Barber of Seville – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

November 6, 2023November 7, 2023Leave a comment

https://youtu.be/jKKg2w8VRbk Libretto by Cesare Sterbini, based on the play by Pierre Beaumarchais Conducted by Stuart Stratford Directed by Sir Thomas Allen Translation by Amanda Holden Tickets from £23.00 ★★★★ Clean-shaven, refreshed, and with a splash of scent and a cheeky grin, Scottish Opera’s triumphant re-staging of The Barber of Seville arrives in Edinburgh after a successful opening in … Continue reading The Barber of Seville – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Scottish Opera: Carmen – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

June 15, 2023June 15, 2023Leave a comment

https://youtu.be/1ydKle2a-Vk Composed by Georges Bizet Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Directed by John Fulljames ★★★★ Madama Butterfly to Carmen. Sixty years championing Opera within Scotland. Facing financial and global challenges, Scottish Opera remains a force in the cultural zeitgeist of the nation. With the influx of younger audiences and economic accessibility for others, Scottish Opera continues to be … Continue reading Scottish Opera: Carmen – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Il Trittico – Festival Theatre

March 24, 2023March 24, 2023Leave a comment

https://youtu.be/cg8GdNDf7Nc Composed by Giacomo Puccini Directed by Sir David McVicar Conducted by Stuart Stratford ★★★★★ The idea of remaining faithful to the artist's intentions is, for some producers, not always the first thing on their mind in staging a lengthy or composite collection of works. For Puccini, there was no other way to demonstrate the … Continue reading Il Trittico – Festival Theatre

The Verdi Collection – Usher Hall

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023Leave a comment

Musical Direction and Conduction by Stuart Stratford ★★★★ When the pomp and visage of opera rein in, and the lavish nature of sets, costumes and lighting make way for the humbleness of the heart of it all: the music, something quite remarkable can happen. And that’s precisely what occurred at the Usher Hall on Saturday, … Continue reading The Verdi Collection – Usher Hall

Ainadamar – Festival Theatre

November 9, 2022November 9, 2022Leave a comment

https://youtu.be/4LidSTvY5OM Libretto by David Henry Hwang Direction & Choreography by Deborah Colker Conducted by Stuart Stratford ★★★★★ Deborah Colker for Scottish Opera has rightened a dichotomy: for nearly two decades, Osvaldo Golijov was the emergence of a postmodernist complexity within the classical world – and his ability to merge Latin American music with the potentials … Continue reading Ainadamar – Festival Theatre