Gothic Opera allows another side of Offenbach to shine at Battersea Arts Centre

Die Rheinnixen
© Craig Fuller

Max Hoehn (director)

Hannah von Wiehler (conductor)

Leon Haxby (arranger)

Isabella van Braeckel (set & costume designer)

Luca Panetta (lighting designer)

Gothic Opera

(Béatrice de Larragoïti, Alice Usher, Charlotte Osborn)

Mae Heydorn (Hedwig)

Alice Usher (Armgard)

Sam Utley (Franz)

Owain Gwynfryn (Conrad von Wenckhem)

Harrison Gration (Gottfried)

Emily Rooke, Anusha Merrin, Hannah Morley, Cicely-Yishou Hé, Lars Fischer, Alexander White, Maximilian Catalano, Chris Murphy (Chorus)

Alice Usher (Armgard) & Sam Utley (Franz)
© Craig Fuller

5pm, Sunday 2 November 2025

Battersea Arts Centre, London

★★★★

Offenbach, Jacques (1819-1880): Die Rheinnixen

(Edited by Jean-Christophe Keck, Libretto by Charles Nuitter & Alfred von Wolzogen, Arranged by Leon Haxby)

'Gothic Opera chose Die Rhiennixen for their seventh season. Once again, they have pulled off a triumph'.

'The performance gripped from beginning to end, the closeness of the action to the audience creating an immersive experience, a treat to see and hear the singers up so close'.

Owain Gwynfryn (Conrad)
© Craig Fuller

'Alice Usher (co-founder) was spellbinding as Armgard ... whilst Mae Heydorn, as her mother Hedwig, had ... steely power when needed'.

'Sam Utley’s Franz was ... tender and warm, with power at the top of his range. Harrison Gration made the strongest vocal impact of the men,his powerful bass-baritone one to watch ...

 whilst Owain Gwynfryn as Conrad (is) another agile baritone to watch out for'.

'The band ... performed Leon Haxby’s arrangement of the score with tight energy, conducted with precision and clarity by von Wiehler'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here. 

Gothic Opera brings powerful high drama to Donizetti in Battersea

Daniella Sicari (Maria)
© Craig Fuller

Lysanne van Overbeek (director)

Anna Castro Grinstein (conductor)

Leon Haxby (arranger)

Nate Gibson (set & costume designer)

Luca Panetta (lighting designer)

Gothic Opera

(Béatrice de Larragoïti, Alice Usher, Charlotte Osborn)

Daniella Sicari (Maria de Rudenz)

Theo Perry (Corrado di Waldorf)

James Beddoe (Enrico)

Harrison Gration (Rambaldo)

Alice Usher (Matilde)

Jamie Formoy (Chancellor)

Theo Perry (Corrado) & Daniella Sicari (Maria)
© Craig Fuller

7.30pm, Thursday 31 October 2024

Battersea Arts Centre, London

★★★★

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848): Maria de Rudenz

(libretto by Salvatore Cammarano (1801-1852))

'Being up close and personal to the singers made for a highly engaging performance; all performers excelled dramatically, drawing us into their heightened states of emotion'.

'Anna Castro Grinstein conducted the six-piece band in Leon Haxby’s lean arrangement with energy and precision'.

Alice Usher (Matilde) & Theo Perry (Corrado)
© Craig Fuller

'To her credit, director Lysanne van Overbeek plays it straight, which made the cumulative over-the-top dramatic crescendo all the more effective'.

'Soprano Daniella Sicari deserves the highest accolade for a stunningly powerful Maria, channelling true Gothic horror and steely control, with effortless coloratura throughout'. 

'This was a production that nonetheless packed a hefty punch, refreshingly immediate and engaging throughout'. 

Harrison Gration (Rambaldo) & Daniella Sicari (Maria)
© Craig Fuller

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.