East End Opera

The Four Note Opera

Rosemary Branch Theatre

13th to 28th October, 2007

I must confess to a certain apprehension on receiving the brief for tonight’s forage into performance from Extra! Extra! HQ. This, in no small part, is due to the fact that I really don’t like opera. In my experience its lavish sets, complicated plots and indecipherable singing all combine to make a pretty dull experience.

But, being the professional that I am, I forced my mind to stay open and cycled down to the Rosemary Branch pub in Islington with a zen-like lack of pre-judgement even when every past encounter that I’ve had with the forces of opera has left me cold and numb.

And well that I did for, in The Four Note Opera, East End Opera are putting on a very entertaining and highly accessible show.

The format is one of what could be called meta-opera. The libretto is strikingly distinct from anything I have previously seen in that, instead of being related to the action and plot of the opera that carries the musical score, it is concerned with the thoughts and concerns of the performers who are putting on the show.

Whether it is when we are presented with Henrietta Bewley’s Contralto and Gavin Morris’ Tenor as they tell us that they are merely filling in time until the Soprano can come and sing, or Aidan Smith’s Bass bemoaning the short length of time that he is on stage even though he has been told that he adds a lot to the totality of the performance, the mood is one of accessibility spiced with humour and seasoned with the clever concept for the entire fifty minutes of the performance.

The format is also surprisingly educational as well – standard operatic devices are easily explained when we encounter them. We are introduced to the term ‘repetition duet’; given the reasoning behind the cast’s repetition of the Soprano’s part (because it can sometimes be hard to hear her clearly) and our attention is drawn to the length and timing of certain phrases. A particular favourite of mine was the Contralto / Tenor duet where the refrain was simply, “This duet is forty bars long”.

The plot and action supporting these lines were a series of disparate and deliberately cliché operatic scenes – we had a masked ball, the soldier going off to war, the anguish of a love triangle – and such formulaic settings confirmed nicely the sense that we were learning about, and even experiencing, opera in its broadest, most generic sense. This was not one opera; this was a representation of all opera.

Stuart Taggart’s set, even though borrowed from the Barber of Seville which is currently also running at the Rosemary Branch (as admitted in the libretto) was especially well suited to the non-place that was the setting for much of this performance. The stark geometry and surreal perspectives of the angular blocks of pale colour fitted well with the unsettled conventions being explored.

If I was to look to be critical, some of the choreography of the action was a little weak, and looked a little haphazard at times. But when the writing is as strong as Tom Johnson’s is, this is easily forgivable, and when this writing is supported by a strong musical score (which really does only consist of four notes) then such problems become negligible.

East End Opera, under the direction of Shirley Keane, seem determined to spread the gospel of opera, and with shows such as this being put on alongside their work with communities in three of London’s most deprived boroughs, and with their ‘Opening Up Opera’ course forthcoming at Stratford Circus (see www.eastendopera.co.uk), their passion will spread.

In the person who’s writing these words they’ve at least one convert already.

			Theatre Reviews





	Tim Jeeves Archives Reviewers East End Opera The Four Note Opera Rosemary Branch Theatre 13th to 28th October, 2007 A review by Tim Jeeves for EXTRA! EXTRA! I must confess to a certain apprehension on receiving the brief for tonight’s forage into performance from Extra! Extra! HQ. This, in no small part, is due to the fact that I really don’t like opera. In my experience its lavish sets, complicated plots and indecipherable singing all combine to make a pretty dull experience. But, being the professional that I am, I forced my mind to stay open and cycled down to the Rosemary Branch pub in Islington with a zen-like lack of pre-judgement even when every past encounter that I’ve had with the forces of opera has left me cold and numb. *And well that I did for, in The Four Note Opera, East End Opera are putting on a very entertaining and highly accessible show.* The format is one of what could be called meta-opera. The libretto is strikingly distinct from anything I have previously seen in that, instead of being related to the action and plot of the opera that carries the musical score, it is concerned with the thoughts and concerns of the performers who are putting on the show. Whether it is when we are presented with Henrietta Bewley’s Contralto and Gavin Morris’ Tenor as they tell us that they are merely filling in time until the Soprano can come and sing, or Aidan Smith’s Bass bemoaning the short length of time that he is on stage even though he has been told that he adds a lot to the totality of the performance, the mood is one of accessibility spiced with humour and seasoned with the clever concept for the entire fifty minutes of the performance. The format is also surprisingly educational as well – standard operatic devices are easily explained when we encounter them. We are introduced to the term ‘repetition duet’; given the reasoning behind the cast’s repetition of the Soprano’s part (because it can sometimes be hard to hear her clearly) and our attention is drawn to the length and timing of certain phrases. A particular favourite of mine was the Contralto / Tenor duet where the refrain was simply, “This duet is forty bars long”. The plot and action supporting these lines were a series of disparate and deliberately cliché operatic scenes – we had a masked ball, the soldier going off to war, the anguish of a love triangle – and such formulaic settings confirmed nicely the sense that we were learning about, and even experiencing, opera in its broadest, most generic sense. This was not one opera; this was a representation of all opera. Stuart Taggart’s set, even though borrowed from the Barber of Seville which is currently also running at the Rosemary Branch (as admitted in the libretto) was especially well suited to the non-place that was the setting for much of this performance. The stark geometry and surreal perspectives of the angular blocks of pale colour fitted well with the unsettled conventions being explored. If I was to look to be critical, some of the choreography of the action was a little weak, and looked a little haphazard at times. But when the writing is as strong as Tom Johnson’s is, this is easily forgivable, and when this writing is supported by a strong musical score (which really does only consist of four notes) then such problems become negligible. East End Opera, under the direction of Shirley Keane, seem determined to spread the gospel of opera, and with shows such as this being put on alongside their work with communities in three of London’s most deprived boroughs, and with their ‘Opening Up Opera’ course forthcoming at Stratford Circus (see www.eastendopera.co.uk), their passion will spread. In the person who’s writing these words they’ve at least one convert already. 43Ticket Info: £12 (£10 conc) 17^th October – all tickets £6 *Box Office: 020 7704 6665* www.rosemarybranch.co.uk/theatre.asp Copyright © EXTRA! EXTRA All rights reserved Tim Jeeves Archives Reviewers