The penultimate week of our Spring 2019 Season took us to Venue Cymru in Llandudno where we were joined by a group of young budding writers.
Venue Cymru have been operating their Young Critics group for several years, and the participants are invited to come along and review productions at the venue (and its sister venue, Theatr Colwyn) which are then published on the theatre’s dedicated blog site and also on social media. The Young Critics are aged from 17 – 29, are all based in and around North Wales and applied to take part in the scheme in order to hone their writing skills and gain experience that will help them in their future careers.
Previously, the Young Critics reviewed La Cenerentola and Tosca, and their observations included:
Lydia on La CenerentolaWith the story being taken from Cinderella, a tale the majority of audiences will already be familiar with, this opera is probably one of the most accessible to people like myself who are unfamiliar with opera and would initially be hesitant to attend. However with the slight changes to the plot, it can also be enjoyed by frequent visitors to the theatre and the opera looking for something different.
Aaron on La CenerentolaAngelina/Cinderella is the embodiment of purity, always self-effacing and humbled by her entitled family. Tara Erraught sees to this task with grace and a darling voice capable of evoking the pitying emotions her character warrants.
Scott on ToscaOverall, according to this review, I was awe inspired, enchanted, interested, engrossed, astounded, speechless and given chills by this production of Tosca, and I absolutely was all of those things and more, it was a fantastic experience and I’m glad I went to see it. There were hardly any criticisms to make, clearly the Welsh National Opera is a well oiled-machine who produce only the highest quality of theatre. This is absolutely worth seeing as is anything else they do, if you get the chance to, then take it
This year, the young people came along to Mozart’s The Magic Flute and they were welcomed by WNO’s North Wales Youth and Community Co-Ordinator Morgana Warren-Jones and given a special introduction to the piece, in advance, by WNO Dramaturg Elin Jones. For those who haven’t seen opera before, this helps to give them a better understanding of what they are about to see.
We look forward to reading what they thought of the production.
If you’re interested in becoming a Young Critic, you can find out more info here and maybe you could be reviewing our Autumn 2019 Season.