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New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Nick Kimberley's rating
Reader rating
Moments of tenderness: Carmen
Bizet's Carmen is usually presented as a big-stage spectacular but not in David McVicar's Glyndebourne production, first seen in 2002. Michael Vale's sets hem the characters in like caged animals, clawing at each other to escape.
Here, Seville is not drenched in Mediterranean sunlight; instead, it's a twilit border zone, chaotic, vibrant and murderous. At times, the costumes suggest the Spanish Civil War; other resonances are less specific.
Not every detail works. As Bizet wrote it, the character of Micaëla appears at key moments to embody the sweetness and light that Carmen manages without. McVicar goes further, inserting her into the action like a silent stalker, including at Carmen's murder, when her presence disrupts the intensity of the moment.
Mostly, though, this is a fresh, detailed and thoughtful staging. In Tania Kross's performance, Carmen is more cheeky than dangerous but she has a sassy swagger in her step and a sweet lilt in her voice that make her a credible if rather cuddly shedevil. As Don José, the sad sap she seduces then tosses aside, Brandon Jovanovich has moments of real tenderness, others of stiff formality. In that, he's matched by Kate Royal's Micaëla, who never quite becomes flesh and blood.
Few of the cast sound comfortable with French; indeed, the most convincing accents come from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, from whom conductor Stéphane Denève coaxes light and airy playing.
Until 31 August (01273 815000).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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