PAST PRODUCTIONS

Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo' (May 2015)

This summer, we were privileged to be working with world-renowned harpist and early music specialist, Andrew Lawrence-King, to present one of Europe’s first ever operas. The performance featured an energetic student cast accompanied by some of the country’s leading Renaissance music authorities.

Cavalieri’s ‘Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo’ transports us into moral limbo, where Body and Soul travel through an allegorical labyrinth. Meeting demons, angels and temptation at every turn, they are compelled to debate the relative merits of Heaven and Earth.

A tale of temptation, piety and deceit, Body and Soul will finally have to decide whether to stay on Earth, or ascend to Heaven. The question is, which will they choose...

The Marriage of Figaro (February 2015)

Our inaugral show at the Gala Theatre, Durham, was a resounding success, set in the 1960s.

It achieved extremely high praise, and was commended for its wit, professionalism and outstanding singing:

"I think DOE's biggest success tonight is not simply in just producing a near-faultless rendition of a classic opera, but in making opera truly accessible to both a specialist and generalist audience. It was a delightful three hours of high quality entertainment and it is rare for student opera to achieve that subtle balance between singing, acting and staging"

Francis Mullaly, DST First Night Reviews

We are delighted to have been asked back to the Gala Theatre for another production in February 2016.

Dido and Aeneas (June 2014)

Our summer term show saw Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas performed outdoors in the St John's College Ampitheatre. With the weather holding out the production was a great success even if a stray dog did do its best to disrupt the performance.

The Magic Flute (February 2014)

W. A. Mozart's The Magic Flute is arguably one of the most popular operas ever written. DOE's production, set in the magestic Great Hall of the Castle saw the setting of the opera transformed to post-war London.

The production was a great success by all accounts with some tremendous reviews:

'Overall, I felt that this was Durham Opera Ensemble’s best production yet in showcasing the best of Durham’s vocal talent and they fully deserved a packed audience.'

Francis Mullaly, Durham Theatre Review

'DOE's The Magic Flute is a sumptuous production, boasting energetic performers and note-perfect singing and musical accompaniment.'

Carrie Gaunt, DST First Night Reviews

Darkness and Light (December 2013)

Darkness & Light is a series of opera scenes based on the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi including scenes by Purcell, Monteverdi & Mozart.

Reviewers were overawed by the performance:

'From the very first notes ... the orchestra set a high standard'

'The incredible vocals of the full chorus blended seamlessly and produced glorious sounds in the full ensemble numbers.'

'From start to finish this production was one of quality... this show impressed throughout; the only real shame was that it couldn't have lasted a little longer!'

Jack Moreton, Durham Student Theatre

'Durham Opera Ensemble with Darkness and Light, a selection of opera scenes, has managed to flood our minds with light and strike even the darkest chords of our musical senses and enveloped everything in an aesthetically pitch-perfect performance of the purest delight'.

'Every singer possessed a powerful voice, fully inhabited their roles, and employed expressive facial expressions and constant movement on stage to weave the thread of enchantment in which the audience was temporarily caught.'

Victoria Guranda, Palatinate Student Newspaper