arts
Giulio Cesare review
The Grange festival, Northington, HampshireDavid Alden’s blackly comic Kafkaesque production has a strong cast whose lively performances were not always matched by the Early Opera Company in the pit
TL;DR
- David Alden's production of Giulio Cesare is a dark, Kafkaesque interpretation, contrasting with typical comedic stagings.
- The cast, including Tim Mead as Cesare and Sarah Brady as Cleopatra, delivers strong, emotionally rooted performances.
- Jess Dandy as Cornelia and Zheng Jiang as Sesto are particularly praised for their vocal abilities and character portrayals.
- Christian Curnyn's conducting and the Early Opera Company's performance are described as prosaic and scrappy.
- Visually, the production is supported by impressive sets, costumes, lighting, and choreography.