This unique operetta is a mixed bag, but there will be something here for everyone to enjoy.

A mind-bending, thoroughly enjoyable romp through several centuries of music and marriage.

The best opera I've seen in years. Unmissable.

Pros: Lively, lovely and wonderfully funny. Cons: Hard to find any. No, really, it’s very good! The Mikado can be a challenging production. An opera set in Japan but written by two Caucasian Britons in 1885, which has actors running around with names like “Nanki-Poo” and “Pooh-Bah” clearly suggests an outdated and imperial approach (even if its original intention was to satirise British politics). But don’t let that daunt you when it comes to Sasha Regan’s excellent all-male interpretation at the ...

Pros: Hilarious performances, beautiful singing and outstanding design. Cons: Without an orchestra some of Mozart’s magic is lost. Walking through a charming pub straight into a small pocket of the South American jungle isn’t how most would expect to start a night at the opera. Fortunately for us, Charles Court Opera’s production of The Magic Flute at the King’s Head Theatre refreshingly does away with rows of seats, facing a stage, overlooking an orchestra, and puts us firmly in the thick of it. Simon ...

Pros: A rare opportunity to appreciate a form of theatre which has been performed without interruption since the 14th century. Cons: As with anything out of the ordinary, this show can be quite challenging to follow, due to the lack of clear narrative elements. In the wonderful world of performing arts there is a theatrical discipline that has been kept alive from the 14th century to this day. Its name is Noh, or Nogaku, and it is a form of classical ...

An accessible production with some captivating performances.

Pros: Héloïse Werner’s hauntingly beautiful, intense and masterful performance. Cons: The abstract nature of the piece means that it is sometimes hard to empathise with the characters and to feel a connection with the emotions portrayed. Grief is a personal experience that we all grapple with in our own way. The loss of a loved one is hard to stomach and often hard to talk about. One feels isolated, empty and confused. In this abstract, almost excruciatingly intimate, one-woman opera at ...

If you are open to an evening of experimental theatre, you will not regret it.

Humour outweighs tragedy in this enjoyable new version of a classic romantic opera that takes audience participation to the next level.