Reviews: Autumn 04 Tour - The Cunning Little Vixen

“The cast were, to a whisker, gamely uninhibited. Louise Walsh's Vixen was bright and feisty, a bit of a minx … her foxy lover/partner was the mezzo Clarissa Meek, vocally and physically virile and quite unfazed by the part's often high tessitura. Richard Burkhard strongly reconciled Poacher and Dog - a shaggy dog, as befits this tale.
And at the centre of it all was the Forester, a well-projected and unsentimental performance from Roderick Earle.”
Edward Seckerson, The Independent

“Louise Walsh makes a charming Vixen, Roderick Earle an imposing Forester and Richard Burkhard a scary poacher, responding in fine voice to the expertly urgent tempi of conductor Peter Robinson.”
Anthony Holden, The Observer

“I loved Louise Walsh’s feisty feminist Vixen and Richard Burkhard’s mean, macho Poacher. But the climax, rightly, was Roderick Earl’s impassioned delivery of the Forester’s valedictory aria, where Dove’s reduced orchestration (vigorously conducted by Peter Robinson) even manages to evoke the Straussian splurge of Janacek’s original.
Heartwarming stuff.”
Richard Morrison, The Times

“This company specialises in small-scale touring productions and this was an extremely successful example with imaginative staging and choreography adding effect to the efforts of the small cast (taking multiple parts) and orchestra, conducted by Peter Robinson.
Roderick Earle and Richard Burkhard impressed in the main male roles but the stars were soprano Louise Walsh, feisty and alluring as the vixen, and mezzo Clarissa Meek, whose parts included the fox with whom the vixen shares the ecstatic courtship scene that is at the heart of this enchanting opera.”
Simon Johnson, Kentish Gazette, Canterbury and District

“Louise Walsh – feminine, waspish and agile as only a vixen can be – was cast perfectly in the central role, playing the part with a mean streak while Clarissa Meek sung the part of Mr Fox with great conviction. She looked the part from top to tail and hopefully, is now safe from the hunt! She was, simply, quite fantastic!
Roderick Earle as the headman/forester put in a commanding and authoritative performance in a production that, once again, shows the ingenuity and creativity of English Touring Opera.”
Tony Cooper, Eastern Daily Press

“… the intricate costume design was superlative … this revival was blessed with a designer as talented as Joanna Parker and the directorial ingenuity of James Conway.
And how refreshing to see a production that blurs the edges of Janácek’s already deliberately fuzzy story. Conway’s direction, full of beautiful moments of inspired choreography, played upon this superbly.
Roderick Earle as the Forester really come into his own in the final act, displaying a voice of clarity and strength.
Louise Walsh as both the Vixen and Terynka generated spine-tingling moments, with a pure, unforced voice that sailed over lines such as ‘Am I beautiful?’ with wonderful grace and poise.
This performance proved that English Touring Opera has a tremendous amount to offer its grateful audiences.”
Jo Kirkbride, Opera