[An Enemy of the Circle]

Saw this on Monday (7^th) - now here's the deal, my companion and I normally avoid opera on the grounds of, um...well we just avoid it...just not our cup of Earl Grey let's say!! Anyway, on the strength of 2 reviews (ReviewsGate & The Gdn who gave it 5 stars - only their third 5/5 of the yr) we paid the price (literally) and went along. Good call!

It's excellent, forget yr prejudices (if any) against opera and go see it. The staging is 5/5 - it's warm and welcoming and you really do feel party to the proceedings and the placement of the mini orchestra adds to both the intimacy and enjoyment. It's a great ensemble effort but The Don (who plays with a slight nod towards Lugosi's Dracula) is wonderful as is Elvira and the man-servant.

Best of all is the nu script: fully modernised without ever feeling out of place; partly spoken and partly sung (in English), it's way more entertaining than most new writing. Oh and there's some real magic (sorry, illusions) too.

Couldn't believe it was 10.20pm when it ended with one short interval - barely felt like 2 hrs.

Highly recommended (until 19/7) and definitely worth seeing. As for the Gdn's 5 stars, well elements certainly were, I'd say just about 4.5 overall (clarity of some of the sung words were lost due the production being in the round) which ain't bad for a bleedin' opera, though it's more like musical theatre I'd say.

Sexy Opera - you'd better beleive it!!


ps £2 for a prog...£2.70 pt Grolsch...free pkg before 6.30pm...Have it!!