Orpha Phelan's new production of The Cunning Little Vixen at the Royal College of Music received glowing reviews.
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer
This youthful, spirited staging of Janáček’s folk-inflected opera - the Royal College of Music opera studio’s production of this cycle-of-life work found simple solutions in a beguiling staging, conducted by Michael Rosewell and directed by Orpha Phelan. Her experience – at Irish National Opera and elsewhere, harnessed to talented performers on the threshold of careers – led to spirited results.
Lauren Mcquistin, Opera Now
Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen requires a certain amount of imagination from the audience, and a cast to encourage it. An ideal opera for young singers to explore 20th Century post-modernist opera, it also makes certain demands - to embody the physicality of animals, to continue a narrative through episodic storytelling and to convey the parallels and differences between man and nature. The Royal College of Music’s production met these demands, with a whimsical yet grounded performance, showcasing the compelling creativity of the ensemble.
