I have no time for those who go to the opera to be awed by the sets, the size of the chorus and orchestra and forget that opera is about communicating emotions through voice. I have viewed productions at the Royal Opera House London live and cinema relay and several productions on relay from the Met and dvd and for once we were able to experience credible looking, acting and singing leads at a price from a one day at a time an opera touring company which makes use of local as well as International resources and which received one of the most positive response from the Saturday night audience at the Sunderland Empire. Those of now used to seating in refurbished cinemas find the seating cramped and difficult to get in and out but the view across the stage from one end row at the side with no one sitting next was better than past Riyal Opera House. Ice creams at £4 excessive but on a very cold night the coffee was suitably hot.

Excellent

A fabulous production in the Glasgow Concert Hall. The performance of Butterfly herself was the finest I've seen, an actress and singer of the highest quality. The curtain call with the Ukrainian flag was heartwarming. Well done Ellen for bringing this amazing production to us.

After a decidedly indifferent Madama Butterfly at the Royal opera House many years ago it has taken me a long time to finally give this particular opera another try, and am I glad I did. Opera can be very subjective, but for me this was a definitive Cio Cio San. Elena Dee was nothing short of sensational, both in her singing and her acting. Her voice soared at times without ever faltering, her range impressive and her tone beautiful. The ovation she received at the end showed that most of the theatre were in complete agreement. But it was far from a one person show. The rest of the principal parts were also impressive, the staging simple which allowed the characters to take the focus. Touring sets can never replicate those of resident productions, but this was a good effort, and the use of lighting was very clever. The orchestra was almost flawless and understood their role perfectly, never once trying to upstage the singers. Ellen Kent does a wonderful thing bringing top class opera to the masses, with local venues and very affordable prices. I look forward to her 2024 tour with great anticipation. And as a footnote, never has the Ukrainian anthem sounded so good.

Wonderful performance by everyone..fantastic orchestra. Emotional but beautiful..Sorrow was fabulous for one so young. Customary booing at end for Pinkerton followed by applause and fantastic support for Ukraine national anthem. Well done people!

Saw Ellen Kent’s Madama Butterfly at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall on Saturday 25 March 2023.. Alyona Kistenyova as Cio-Cio San was superb, her singing and acting being pure perfection. She was supported by an excellent cast, especially Vitalii Liskovetskyi as Pinkerton and Natalia Matveeva as Suzuki, both with wonderful voices. The use of a local child as Sorrow was such a clever idea and much appreciated by the audience. The set was good and provided the backdrop for the wonderful performances to transport you to Japan. The dastardly American sailor Pinkerton got the customary booing at the end but the rapturous applause for the production justly reflected the outstanding performances. Well done Ellen Kent for bringing the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre to us.