Ashley Pearson, librettist

The King’s Head Theatre opened its 2019 opera programme with a brand new English version of Bizet’s greatest opera, Carmen. A fresh, exhilarating take on the classic tale of passion, jealousy and danger accompanied by Bizet’s soaring, intricate music.

CHRIS OMAWENG

★★★★ “The show also has, if there is such a thing, the ‘right’ amount of profanity. Too much of it and one wonders if the librettists lack vocabulary. Here, its use is sparse enough to have a dramatic enough impact each time. Hearing José singing, “Carmen! F—k you!” in operatic tones was surprisingly amusing, for example. This fresh (re)interpretation of an old story was both thrilling and enjoyable, and considering none of the on-stage characters were particularly likeable, this production sizzles with the passion of this fiery love triangle.”

LAST MINUTE THEATRE TICKETS

★★★★ “The production itself is very impressive with all three actors really bringing their characters to life in fine style in the version I saw. There are two casts alternating the roles of Carmen and Jose. The music supplied by Juliane Gallant and David Eaton on keyboards is as familiar as always and the libretto has a surprising amount of comedy in it. The stage may be small but the sense of intimacy this provides really draws the audience into the relationships being played out in front of them. This is particularly true of the second half where Acts III and IV are really emotional as the story moves towards its conclusion. Anna Lewis’ set makes great use of some well-designed backdrops to convey a sense of place and this really effective in the final scene where the emotion of a football match is a constant in the background of the narrative unfolding in front of the audience”