La Traviata in London

La Traviata was on at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden last night, so that's what I saw.

The house has all the trimmings you expect with the names 'royal' and 'opera'; a wonderful red curtain which lifts to the sides like an old fashioned granny-curtain, very fancy lights by the dozen, and great acoustics. It is a pleasure to experience.

Lights in the Royal Opera House

Alfredo was sung by tenor Atalla Ayan and he was perhaps the strongest of the cast. The production was thoughtful and even the curtain became an actor for the evening. It was so gently raised for the third act we knew we were in for tears.

I was sitting next to a young artist, Suzanne Forrest, from Scotland. She is having a show of her work here in London and races back to Scotland for a show there next week. We found we had a lot in common and the company of she and her partner really added to my enjoyment of the evening. Her art is worth a look ... you can find it here.