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Red

RED references the stories of Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White and Hansel and Gretel and ties them all together using the heroine’s thread of magical red hair.

There is no shortage of charisma

Performed by a cast of 14 young performers from Scottish Opera Young Company, the opera does not hold back in the range of ensemble and solo work, the range of rhythms and harmonies or the emotional complexity of the work.

The choral work is highly satisfying and the complexity of ensemble stage work is pulled off with ease. There is no shortage of charisma. Shout outs have to go to the performers of the major roles. Luke Francis plays the Wolf with charming relish, tempered with justified anger. James Kennedy switches from uptight, responsible Fire Chief to snobby, effete Ice Witch and convinces in each role. El Rose holds the audience as the Mysterious Woman – a role that holds a rather diffuse and confusing role in the story. (To be honest, the Mysterious Woman is still a mystery to me.) And of course, there is the lead character herself. On the performance I saw it was played throughout (some nights used different singers for the different episodes) by Maria Wotherspoon who’s singing never weakens as she leads the show through the demands of her personas as Riding Hood, tragic lover and pregnant woman, business magnate/ Evil Queen, penitent and Good Witch.

The opera (composed by Karen MacIver, conducted by Chris Gray and directed by Flora Emily Thomson) ranges through multiple musical styles and references – and this befits the postmodernist style of the story. The libretto (Jane Davidson) generates some terrific characters. And although the opera’s conclusion is like a particularly involved Dr Who episode, it does provide an emotional hit - which is the element that counts the most.

This is the last of any Scottish Opera Young Company performances as, after 15 years, the Young Company scheme (covering ages 14-23) has ended. Scottish Opera will instead now focus more on primary and secondary education and specialist music schools. Clearly, having an overt anchor such as a Young Company is very different to having a more diffused program of engagement with younger years. In an ideal world we’d have both, of course, but let’s give Scottish Opera (and Scottish music) best wishes for their new focus.

Despite this, the show was far from a wake, but was instead a celebration: of the dedication of the production team, and the talent and potential of the young cast.

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Reviews by Mark Harding

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Since you’re here…

… we have a small favour to ask. We don't want your money to support a hack's bar bill at Abattoir, but if you have a pound or two spare, we really encourage you to support a good cause. If this review has either helped you discover a gem or avoid a turkey, consider doing some good that will really make a difference.

You can donate to the charity of your choice, but if you're looking for inspiration, there are three charities we really like.

Mama Biashara
Kate Copstick’s charity, Mama Biashara, works with the poorest and most marginalised people in Kenya. They give grants to set up small, sustainable businesses that bring financial independence and security. That five quid you spend on a large glass of House White? They can save someone’s life with that. And the money for a pair of Air Jordans? Will take four women and their fifteen children away from a man who is raping them and into a new life with a moneymaking business for Mum and happiness for the kids.
Donate to Mama Biashara now

Theatre MAD
The Make A Difference Trust fights HIV & AIDS one stage at a time. Their UK and International grant-making strategy is based on five criteria that raise awareness, educate, and provide care and support for the most vulnerable in society. A host of fundraising events, including Bucket Collections, Late Night Cabarets, West End Eurovision, West End Bares and A West End Christmas continue to raise funds for projects both in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Performances

Location

The Blurb

An orphaned girl defiantly alone in a wood. A young woman determined to survive in her tower. A Queen jealously protective of her empire. And an old woman using her wisdom to break the cycle. All are connected and defined by their striking red hair.   

The fairy tales famously recorded by the Brothers Grimm and frequently re-told over centuries often cast their women in four archetypes corresponding with ages and stages of life: girl, maiden, mother, crone. RED is an interwoven story in four parts, examining the circular, metamorphic nature of these tales as well as experiences shared by generations of women across time through dark comedy and magical realism. RED questions, yet ultimately affirms, the impact a single person can have in the wider world.  

Full of comedy and pathos and charting a path from the abstract to the absurd, this world premiere is written by award-winning composer Karen MacIver and Jane Davidson MBE, Scottish Opera’s Director of Outreach & Education. Together, they create a timeless, bold, expressionist world using musical and lyrical echoes from Stephen Sondheim and Bernard Herrmann, where women’s power is subject to scrutiny and alienation. 

Flora Emily Thomson (Maud & Down in the Valley 2023) directs and Scottish Opera Young Company's Artistic Director Chris Gray conducts a cast of 14 young performers as they chart this journey through four snapshots of vibrant women’s lives.   

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