Theatre reviews 1. The Bear - a One-Act Comedy Opera


The Bear by Sir William Walton (1902-1983) – a one-act comedy opera based on Anton Chekhov’s play - at The Coliseum, Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth Wales

This was billed as a one-act comedy opera that should appeal to those who are new to opera as it is short, sung in English, and does not take itself too seriously. I love the quote from Anton Chekhov in 1888 “I’ve managed to write a stupid vaudeville which, owing to the fact that it is stupid, is enjoying surprising success”.

It was a new opera to me, but we were particularly keen to see it as it is performed by Mid Wales Opera Small Stages team and performed in the recently-renovated old Coliseum theatre now part of Ceredigion Museum. We were not disappointed with either the opera or the venue.


Mme Popova is mourning the death of her husband a year ago, vowing to be true to his memory and never to leave the house (although she does list his infidelities and is regularly swigging vodka from a hidden bottle). But a grumpy salesman comes to collect a debt owed by her husband, which she cannot pay, so after lots of arguing opera-style they agree to a duel though neither of them can shoot a pistol. Basically, they fall in love and the servant winces in embarrassment as they embrace.


There is an interval now, as the play is finished, but do not be tempted to leave just yet. It is worth staying to see Tatyana’s Party Pieces, little cameos of song and poetry. The best is the rich tones of the tenor, each operatic phrase he sings translated and explained in words – that is, he sings a lot of words to say “a camel is approaching”, repeats more phrases to say “a second camel is approaching”. A satirical comment on what we often think of as opera – lots of noise to actually say very little, or to repeat the same thing over and over.

Worth looking out for their small Stage performances as they take place in small theatres, Church Halls or Village Halls around Wales giving a much more intimate feel to the experience. For us, there was the added value of seeing a performance in this magnificent, tiny Victorian theatre with the bonus of a small bar available too.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
January’s Monday Wine Tasting at the Harbourmaster, Aberaeron, Ceredigion This month’s wine tasting experience at the Harbourmaster in Aberaeron was as popular as ever, everyone eager to sample the selection of 6 wines with fascinating little canapes to accompany each one. This month, Paul and Andrew from CPA’s Wine took us on A Mediterranean Wine Cruise with a selection from Italy, France, Greece and Lebanon, all available to buy from them as individuals or as a business. We started with one of the most popular wines in UK at the moment, Prosecco . This award-winning 11.5% Dollci Colline from Veneto, Italy is not as acid as some, made up with minimum 85% Glera grape, a pale straw colour with constant tiny bubbles rising and a delicate scent – very easy drinking (though takes a few swigs after drinking a rich red wine earlier!) and good value at £8.70 a bottle. Another popular wine, Sauvignon Blanc from the Pays d’Oc region in France, the St Martin Reserve is similar to...
Read more

earlier blog: Zip World Velocity North Wales

Image
Tuesday, 24 October 2017 Zip World Velocity at Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, North Wales – we finally did it! Was it exciting? Of course it was – it was exactly how you thought it would be, an exhilarating whizz down “the fastest zip line in the world” and at 1 mile long, the longest in Europe. You must book in advance and get there before your allotted time to sign in etc. We were a group of 6 – 4 “zippers”, 1 observer plus 1 who was just 2lb over the weight limit (remember this is with all your clothes and boots on) so couldn’t take part. We were kitted up in red boiler suit, hard hat, goggles and harness. . I expected the boiler suit to be padded, but it is thin nylon so you must wear warm gear underneath. The staff fit you into the harness to make sure everything is safe, then we walked up a bit of a slope to the little zipper, the first shorter zip wire across to the truck which takes you up the steep quarry to the BIG zip wire! Basical...
Read more

Part 4 of Reports on "Explore" trip Hyderabad to Goa, India

Image
India - Tombs and Temples and wonderful sights to see Of course, what you really want to see on this tour of the real India is the tombs and temples, the splendour of the architecture and carvings celebrating kings and gods. And we certainly weren’t disappointed. You can see Golconda Fort from Hyderabad, so a tour is a must. It is an impressive structure, and I loved the notion of great wooden gates with huge rounded metal spikes at around 12-15 foot height “to repel elephants”. Oh yes, and the moat where crocodiles would repel foot soldiers – naturally. Nearby are the Qutb Shahi tombs, an excellent example of the basic structure of tombs and mausoleums and superb craftsmanship. Many of the mausoleums were built up to 100 years before the Taj Mahal. The Tombs of the Bahamani Kings were beautiful with exceptional carvings that tell a story of gods and the trials they endured – art lovers could spend days just studying the tombs in this region of India! Bidar Fort is a...
Read more