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Massenet: Chérubin Photo: Clive Barda Clive Timms conductor Martin Lloyd-Evans director Silk Street Theatre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London 6 March 2010 There were as usual two casts for this rather over the top presentation of a comédie chantée from the very beginning of the 20th C., updated to the 1940s. Never Massenet fans, we found it over-loud and rather coarse from the overture onwards, and were not able to come to terms with the incongruities presented for our amusement. The fullest review is at Opera Brittannia : " - - The design team had obviously had a bit of a romp through the costume department – juxtaposing costumes from different eras, which perplexed some members of the audience. Chérubin in dashing RAF uniform whereas the Duke, Baron and Count wore old-fashioned court clothing, the Countess and Baroness dolled up like Marie Antoinette tributes - - the Duke, Baron and Count are all outdated anachronisms, hence their archaic costumes? - - There was a touch of ‘Carry on the Costa’ crossed with Fawlty Towers - - " etc etc What'sOnStage thought " - - the performances are as sharp as the characterisations are weak - -". I am afraid that we too felt ourselves outdated anachronisms there, failing to share the fun or to survive till the finish of what promised to be a long evening, though one with interesting plot developments towards the end, so we've gathered... Our chief voice/opera specialist, Serena Fenwick, who is retiring after five years and many hundreds of valued contributions, promises a proper review of the GSMD Chérubin, keenly awaited.
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