The Cunning Little Vixen, July-August 2017

The Opera Company/Arcola Theatre

A brand new production of Janacek’s opera presented at the Arcola Theatre, as part of the Grimeborn festival 2017. The show enjoyed a sell out run. The opera included elements of dance, puppetry, and mime, alongside opera singing and acting. As well as directing the show, I arranged the orchestral score for piano quintet, and reduced the cast to six singers and two dancers. Set designed by Alexander McPherson. Costumes designed Alexander McPherson and Denisa Dumitrescu. Choreography by Nina Von Der Werth. Lighting design Jai Morjaria. Production photos by Robert Workman. Poster design Guido Martin-Brandis.

Read my programme notes here.

Vixen: Alison Rose

Fox/Dog/Fly/Hen: Beth Margaret Taylor

Forester: Oliver Gibbs

School Teacher/Cockerel/Owl: Tim Langston

Badger/Priest/Harasta: Ashley Mercer

Forester’s Wife/Fox Cub/Frog/Hen/Fly/Cricket: Camilla Farrant

Dancers: Abigail Attard Montalto, Jade Brider

Conductor: Oliver Till

Reviews:

Evening Standard: A Vixen with vivid intensity - Nick Kimberley

“Guido Martin-Brandis’s new production... gets to the heart of the matter. Martin-Brandis provides a piano quintet arrangement so skilful that you forget about what’s missing.”

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Broadway World - Gary Naylor

★★★★

“The Cunning Little Vixen is an opera favourite but no less fascinating for that, especially in this innovative and engaging production... Another feather in the cap for the Arcola's Grimeborn Festival, giving opportunities to see opera anew.”

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MyTheatreMates.com - Janice Woddis

“Martin-Brandis and Till, playing to the strengths of intimacy, and a piano quintet arrangement, bring out enough colour and freshness to make this two hours of absolute delight.

All in all, as fresh as it was unexpected, it has definitely left this viewer with a taste for more of what Grimeborn has to offer.”

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A Younger Theatre - Beatrix Swanson

“This innovative production at the Arcola Theatre’s annual Grimeborn Opera Festival delves into Leoš Janáček’s 1920s work with energy and imagination... A perfect and approachable way to discover this gem of early 20th century opera for the first time.

In this scaled-down new arrangement for piano quintet, Janáček’s haunting, textured melodies swirl and glimmer like soft light dappling a forest floor.”