Macbeth
★★★★☆
"Musically top-notch...The Longborough Festival Orchestra (bracingly conducted by Nil Venditti) is superb throughout"
The Stage
★★★★☆
"The Longborough Orchestra has an excellent grasp on Verdi’s score...exquisite moments of tenderness in the strings and cor anglais...a sonic feast...A very entertaining evening...Prophecy, murder, revenge and madness - what more do you need?"
Opera Now
★★★★☆
"Outstanding central performances, imaginative staging and a superb chorus combine to make this an exhilarating account of one of Verdi’s most unjustly neglected masterpieces"
Plays to See
"New stars enthuse a brilliant chorus and orchestra...The music is an overwhelming triumph...
a special mention, too, is the star in the pit, namely conductor Nil Venditti"
Seen and Heard
"This was opera as it was meant to be...It made a terrific impact...The vital immediacy of the performance is well worth the trip.
"
The Article
"Revel in the composer’s extraordinary interwoven melodies and forget that these two are planning murder"
Stage Talk Magazine
Tristan und Isolde
★★★★★
"Stunningly intense"
The Stage
★★★★★
"outstanding"
musicOMH
★★★★☆
"A fine achievement and one to satisfy even the most demanding Wagner pilgrims who had journeyed from far and wide to the Cotswolds."
Bachtrack
★★★★☆
"The long silence in the audience at curtain down – before a storm of applause – was a fitting tribute to a memorable performance."
Plays to See
"a glorious event, many in the audience standing to applaud"
Seen and Heard
"Perfection"
The Article
"a powerhouse ensemble, with Wagner coursing through their veins"
Opera Now
"All who took part - the singers, including the chorus, the Longborough Festival Orchestra, and the production team - deserve the highest accolades."
Oxford Prospect Arts
Orlando
★★★★★
"this production proves that opera today can feel fresh and relatable...a must see...an amazing start for Longborough"
Opera Now
★★★★★
"magnificently assured, ideally sung and played...in Longborough's 500-seat auditorium, O'Neill's direction ensures that every thought-through moment registers...Do not miss."
The Stage
★★★★★
"a revelation...if the staging was persuasive, the singing was first class across the board"
MusicOMH
★★★★☆
"Sinéad O’Neill’s production is persuasive and Beth Taylor’s performace as Orlando is extraordinary"
The Guardian
★★★★☆
"as Orlando, Beth Taylor gives us a blood-and-guts performance of thrilling emotional volatility...far from a one-woman show, with a superb array of voices on display, giving us an evening of virtuosity and powerful expression"
The Times
"a stimulating match with Christopher Moulds's stylish musical direction and a fine group of solo singers...this production is impressive, and one hopes it is the beginning of a new Longborough tradition"
The Telegraph
"a theatre built by passionate enthusiasts on what was once a chicken coop could be the ideal setting...a superb cast"
Bachtrack
"a beautifully judged staging"
The Observer