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The greatest show and other bromances: Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball and Boe @sohotheatre

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball seem to be a bit of a joke act anyway. Their endless interpretations of popular songs (also known as covers) and their double-act bromance make them quintessential crossover artists where popular music meets opera and Broadway. And a perilous choice for the discerning listener. It’s not that they aren’t talented musicians and performers in their own right. Still, their musical choices are always safe, predictable and less than their potential. But every country deserves to have a pair of self-described national treasures that can tour the local arenas and give people a good time for the bargain price of £175 a seat.  And so the concept of Adam Riches and John Kearns - two world-famous from the Edinburgh Fringe comedians taking on this bromance seems like a curious choice for a Christmas musical fare. One can only hope that over the fourteen nights, it is playing at the Soho Theatre that the show evolves into something more substantial than a series of po...

Brief encounters: La Tragédie de Carmen @popupoperauk

In La Tragédie de Carmen, Popup Opera have a distilled version of Bizet’s Carmen devised by Peter Brook in the early 1980s. The gypsies are gone and all that’s left is the love triangle. And some of the best tunes...

Carmen in some ways can survive being messed about with. The Royal Opera afterall is presenting Carmen in a gorilla suit. Cutting out large chunks of the story and setting it during the Spanish Civil War makes less sense. And in the venue of the Peckham Asylum the sightlines were a bit challenging. But it still works better than expected.

Popup Opera is known for their fresh take on comic operas that tour around the country. But they are on a winner with a more dramatic piece for their autumn season. It doesn’t mess about getting to the best arias. And it helps they’ve assembled a youthful and impressive quartet to bring out the passion.

Chloe Latchmore dazzles as Carmen, using her body and her voice as the seductive and sensual woman. She holds your attention with her clear and strong vocals.

Indonesian tenor Satriya Krisna is just as imposing as Don Jose. Escamillo is an officer haunted by the war here and played by a mildly heroic James Corrigan. Rounding out the cast is Alice Privett as a strong and feisty Micaëla.

Piano accompaniment is by regular Popup Opera music director Berrak Dyer, makes it seem like you’re hearing a full orchestra, bringing out all the subtleties of Bizet’s score.

The moody lighting and projections work well in the Asylum Chapel. The location is an astonishing relic in the heart of Peckham. Even if those who sat further back missed out on some of the drama, the venue made up with it with its chilly atmosphere. Other venues the production tours to may offer better sightlines but I suspect they won’t offer better ambiance.

Directed by John Wilkie, La Tragédie de Carmen plays at various locations until 23 November. Check their website for details.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Ugo Soffientini

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