Don Giovanni
Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Samling Opera, 2007
“ … outstanding debuts by Marc Labonette as Leporello and Kate Valentine as Donna Anna may turn out to be the evening’s real discoveries”
The Guardian
“ … an accomplished young cast notable for Kate Valentine’s spirited Anna”
The Telegraph
“Whatever does take place in this gripping evening of theatre happens entirely within the music as it surges through the voices and shapes the body language of these young singers. It’s a production on a shoestring, yet extravagant in its care; no sets, unfussy costumes and lighting design as concentrated as the action. Allen encourages his singers to use every stepped level, every angle, to suspend the audience’s disbelief.” - Hilary Finch, The Times ****
“The most telling gesture is the warmth with which Allen greets Maltman at the curtain call – an embrace which symbolises a great operatic tradition passing from one generation to the next”. – Alfred Hickling, The Guardian
School children and students from across the region were invited to attend a free schools’ performance of the opera (sponsored by The Gillian Dickinson Charitable Trust) and were also treated to an introduction by Sir Thomas Allen.
“The opera was amazing. The cast performed brilliantly and we were both extremely impressed by the range and the quality of their voices. Seeing Don Giovanni made Mozart more interesting to us – we never realised he wrote stories within in his music.” - Two pupils from Meadowdale Middle School, Bedlington
