4.5 STARS, June 7 – July 7. Jane McGowan saddles up for a fantastic night at Surrey’s brand new opera
Robert Workman
Sometimes in this job, one has to pinch oneself and ask… am I really dressed up to the nines, sipping champagne with the county’s great and the good on a former croquet lawn outside an opera house built in deepest Surrey? Have I just watched the most thrilling first half of any show I have seen this year? The answer to both was a resounding yes.
Grange Park Opera had its first season at West Horsley Place in 2017 - its arrival having been preceded by a much documented tale involving the company’s unceremonious removal from its Hampshire base and a hurried meeting with ex-University Challenge host, Bamber Gascoigne, who had fortuitously just inherited a stately home.
After a frantic scramble to mount productions last year, this summer’s offer is more substantial, featuring Romeo et Juliette, Pushkin, Un Ballo in Maschera and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. The company’s feisty artistic director Wasfi Ali told me she wanted to stage a musical to encourage those not sure about opera to “experience our theatre” and if last night’s performance was anything to go by, this is definitely the show to do it.
As Richard Balcombe leads the 50-piece BBC Concert Orchestra through the stunning overture, it becomes clear that this will be something a little bit special and as the corrugated barn doors slowly pull back, the mellow tones of Dex Lee draws small gasps from the assembled audience as he glides through the classic “Oh What a Beautiful Morning”.
Set in the territory of Oklahoma in the late 19th century, the story follows the blossoming relationship of cowboy Curly and farm dweller Laurey as the mid-west town seeks to join the Union. But the path of true love never did run smooth and the drama mounts as Laurey is pursued by sinister hired hand Jud Fry.
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Robert Workman
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Robert Workman
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Robert Workman
The show is packed with fantastic number after fantastic number – Surrey with A Fringe On Top; People Will Say We’re In Love; Kansas City, Many a New Day and so on all delivered with aplomb by the wonderful 20-strong cast. Lee’s Curly is a vibrant, thrusting young cowboy, who is nevertheless attuned to the needs of his would-be wife Laurey (excellently played and sung by Katie Hill). His lilting tones are equally matched by his athletic moves which are beautifully showcased during the sometimes problematic ‘dream ballet’ sequence.
All the leads are exceptional, but credit must go to Louis Gaunt as the lovelorn Will Parker whose vigorous dancing and assured vocals belied the fact that this show marks his professional debut. His talent was matched by on-stage partner Natasha Cotteriall’s Ado Annie, whose comic timing and breezy characterisation was very well received by the audience.
Jo Davies’ pacey direction kept things bowling along (despite the 90 minute picnic interval), while the set design by France O’Connor was magnificent, perfectly capturing the essence of the dust bowl state. My only slight hesitation came with the singing of the anthemic title song which was delivered during the wedding breakfast with most of the cast facing the back of the stage; it also featured a somewhat pointless ‘rain scene’ which may have been used to signal the impending tragedy, but in reality felt like they had shoe-horned it in because they could.
Those tiny groans aside, this show is a triumph and should there be any tickets to be had, I would suggest you try and get your hands on one.
Until July 7, Grange Park Opera. Tickets start at £75; grangeparkopera.co.uk
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