Master Peter’s Puppet Show / What Next?

Victorian Opera was back to their usual fare with two twentieth century one act operas, one less than twenty years old. However, they were cast from strength with an innovative production.

Master Peter’s Puppet Show was produced using large sheets with shadow puppets behind. A narrator (The Kid) tells part of the story, and then the puppets act out that part. Different scenes were enacted behind different sheets as the action moved. It was very effective.

Rising star Carlos Bárcenas was a strong Puppet Master and the evergreen Ian Cousins an appropriate Don Quixote.

What’s Next is a strange work with five adults, members of a disfunctional family on the way to a wedding, and a boy having survived a catastrophe. After much drama they decide they are stuck with each other and will just have to get along.

The music was very avante garde but compelling and the performances uniformly strong. Young soprano Jessica Aszodi played the main role of Rose with strong, beautiful tone. Her voice has developed well since I last heard her. Ireni Utley, Emily Bauer-Jones, Tim Reynolds and Gary Rowley also performed well and made the difficult music sound easy.

With no pit, the orchestra was a bit loud for the singers at times, but they coped well. The mainly young audience was most enthusiastic.

Graham Ford

Images

Top - Carlos Bárcenas (Master Peter) & Ian Cousins (Don Quixote) in Victorian Opera's Master Peter's Puppet Show.

Lower - Clockwise from top - Percussionist Peter Neville, Austin Haynes (Kid), Gary Rowley (Harry or Larry), Jessica Aszodi (Rose), Ireni Utley (Mama) & Emily Bauer-Jones (Stella) in VO's What Next?

Photographer: Jeff Busby.