THE MAGIC FLUTE AT GREENWICH THEATRE: A PLAYFUL, POIGNANT OPERATIC DELIGHT

By Emma Carney | Bunny Pudding · Digital Coven · @bunnyscopes ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

I do love me a bit of opera so I was excited to have the opportunity to pop down to Greenwich Threatre and check out their latest Opera offering.  What a delightful evening at the theatre! Greenwich’s production of The Magic Flute was absolutely fabulous. The charming venue, a registered charity supporting the arts and emerging artists, made the experience all the more special.

Despite the sweltering heat (bravo to the performers for powering through under those warm lights! I was melting…), the energy on stage never wavered. The creative use of projections and lighting brought Mozart’s fantastical world to life, adding a modern touch while staying true to the opera’s whimsical spirit and not too focused on Masonic elements. Though there was a brief hiccup with the subtitles in the second half, the clever mix of English dialogue and German singing kept the narrative clear—and honestly, the performers’ expressiveness alone could have told the story!

The cast was phenomenal, blending vocal brilliance with engaging acting. The Queen of the Night’s iconic aria was a showstopper, her fiery rage was so palpable, I couldn’t help but relate (we all have our dramatic queen moments!). Also, that is a complex aria to sing so I salute anyone who can sing it! The three ladies (Antonida Kocharova, Megan Artemova-Thomas, Lizzie Hawes) brought both stunning harmonies and comedic flair, while Papageno (Ben Watkin) had the audience laughing with his antics one minute and crying with him the next. The chemistry between Pamina (Kennedy Blair Miller) and Tamino (Grigore Riciu) was heartfelt, and the orchestra, led by Ishan Bhadra, sounded sublime despite the challenging conditions. 

The opera is very of its time period so some of the narrative did feel a bit bizarre through a modern lens. What stood out was the production’s emphasis on unity and collaboration—themes that feel especially poignant today. A huge congratulations to the entire team—director Valeria Perboni, music director Ishan Bhadra, producer William Eley, and every performer and crew member—for such a magical and enjoyable production. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

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⭐⭐⭐⭐ A sparkling, heartfelt operatic adventure.

CAST

Tamino: Grigore Riciu/Stephen Brown
Papageno: Ben Watkins/Oleksii Zasiadko
First Lady: Antonida Kocharova/Daria Moskaliuk

Second Lady: Megan Artemova-Thomas/Imogen Retey
Third Lady: Lizzie Hawes/Giulia Cipriani
Pamina: Kennedy Blair Miller/Claudia Haussmann

Sarastro: David Banbury
Monostatos: Ash Howard/Thomas Wood
Queen of the Night: Meliza Metzger/Victoria Harley

Papagena: Rose Rands/Isabella Hulbert
First Boy: Emily Varney
Second Boy: Antonia Thwaites

Third Boy: Jessica Harper
Speaker: Charles Naylor Chorus: Opera Greenwich Community Chorus