English National Opera’s (ENO) interpretation of Mozart’s famous opera Don Giovanni has a modern urban feel and is much darker than other ENO shows I’ve seen recently at the London Coliseum.

We are warned before entering that we will experience strobe lights, a strange sensation when sitting in a big opera house. Besides the visual effects, atmospheric breathing noises are heard and throughout the performance masked demons sneak and run about on stage.

Kirill Karabits is an energetic conductor who seems to love being in the pit, and he gets a big sound from the the small orchestra.  The cast is made up of impressive talent, with Iain Paterson in the lead role, bellowing maliciously as the callous Don Giovanni.

Brindley Sherratt is the most convincing actor on stage as the greasy sidekick, Leporello. He is surprisingly hilarious as well as vocally brilliant. I particularly enjoyed his catalogue aria that director Rufus Norris re-imagines as a doctor’s statistical presentation; clever timing provides the audience with many laughs.

Don Giovanni is a long opera, but with Mozart’s lyrical melodies and sharp wit it is always a winner. This new production at the ENO presents the opera in a completely unique and even shocking light.

Don Giovanni continues at The Colliseum until 3 December 2010, book Don Giovanni tickets here.

Marking the start of the English National Opera (ENO)’s exciting new season this production is directed by award-winning director Des McAnuff, and conducted by the charismatic Edward Gardner. The opera is based loosely on Goethe’s Faust, Part I with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre and is an entirely new production for the ENO.

With a running time just over three hours and two intervals, you definitely get your money’s worth. This is a show that will appeal to both opera fanatics and those less confident with the form. The music is dramatic and the lyrical tunes will grab your attention. And the narrative is unusually easy to follow!

It is rare that I particularly notice an orchestra during an operatic performance, but in this case I did. They play with great vigour and energy, perhaps thanks to Gardner’s diverse experience conducting both West End bands and large operatic orchestras.

I cannot fault the singing either, Toby Spence leads the cast as the scientist Faust, a tiring tenor role that requires real talent; several of his arias were breathtakingly beautiful. There are only a few more soloists, I think Anna Grevelius as feeble Siebel and Iain Paterson as demonic Mephistopheles stand out.

The set is perhaps a little nonsensical, but I found it easy to overlook this as the other effects on stage are wonderful. Throughout the performance a giant projection of Marguerite’s face is shown, reminding us constantly of Faust’s leading lady and of the important love story that holds the narrative together. This face is particularly unnerving when it occasionally moves or blinks at you.

This ENO season also introduces a series of pre-performance talks called Join The Conversation: Live! hosted by the epic new Apple Store in Covent Garden.

Faust at the London Coliseum until 16 October 2010.

This production is directed by the award-winning Katie Mitchell. Idomeneo is presented in modern day dress, an interesting concept but one that occasionally overpowers the drama. I missed the grandeur of the antique costumes you might expect in a Mozart opera. The staging is immense, with an almost constantly rippling sea as the backdrop. The theme of water is central to the drama, and you are often reminded of its importance.

The four leads all give impressive performances. British tenor, Paul Nilon leads the company as the great Idomeneo. Nilon’s performance is staggering, he sings every virtuosic aria with ease and perfection, making the most of Mozart’s lyrical writing. Robert Murray is less convincing as the son Idamante, although sings well throughout. The two women, Emma Bell as the tormented Electra and Sarah Tynan as Princess Ilia have a wonderful dynamic on stage. Bell is ravishingly fiery and Tynan melancholic and gentle. And Adam Green sings the role of Arbace with great gusto.

Idomeneo is rarely staged, perhaps because of its length. Hopefully after this run at the ENO it will make it to our London stages more often.

Idomeneo continues at the London Coliseum until 9 July, book tickets here.

The opera Tosca is, above all, an epic love story. Every year you are sure to find Puccini’s masterpiece on somewhere, this summer it is being performed by the ENO (English National Opera) at London Coliseum.

My first encounter with this opera was at the age of 15 when I was given the part of Shepherd Boy (in my case they made it into Shepherd Girl) at Holland Park Opera. The power of the music blew me away, ever since it has been my favourite opera. This time around the music moved me close to tears.

The ENO’s production is stunning. The three central protagonists: Tosca, Scarpia and Cavaradossi are all played by singers that seem fully engrossed in their roles; this makes the audience’s job to watch and believe very easy. South African singer Amanda Echalaz makes a pretty Floria Tosca, her voice is unfaltering, but it was her acting that particularly impressed me. She was entirely convincing throughout and has genuine chemistry with her leading man. Tosca’s suicide, which concludes the opera, was spectacular with Amanda falling backwards off the rear of the stage with shocking grace.

Julian Gavin who plays Mario Cavaradossi has a wonderfully creamy tenor voice, a pure delight to listen to. It is a difficult role to sing, but he easily hit the notes and managed to fill the entire theatre. The baddie, Baron Scarpia must be a fun part to play, in this production Antony Michaels-Moore takes it on with gleeful terror.

The set had a Neo-Classical feel that worked well with the production as a whole. Cavaradossi’s painting in the first act is an important feature, and it is a shame that it was shown as a strange mosaic-type picture, but apart from that the set was appropriate.

Conductor, Edward Gardner did a sterling job with the orchestra, although the music needs little help to sound beautiful. Puccini himself commented, “Only with emotion can one achieve a triumph that endures” and this is entirely true of Tosca, which I believe has some of the most passionate, overpoweringly emotional music of all time.

Any well known opera is open to great criticism, but I have seen four productions of Tosca in my lifetime, and this is hands down the best. The ENO’s Tosca is on until the 10 July, I promise you won’t be disappointed, this is a show not to miss.

Book tickets HERE.