Should auld acquaintance be forgot
We’ve been home a couple of days; long enough to catch up with the washing, ironing and email.
Friday was our busiest day of all. There was another Pocket Opera to see: Stanford’s Much Ado About Nothing. Beautifully sung, but, in my humble opinion, fitting the title all too well.
From there, we simply moved to the large theatre, for we had tickets for a recital.
Leyla Gu, Chinese soprano, was magnificent! Initially, we didn’t think we’d manage to get to the recital today and it was only when we realised that it was taking place in the adjacent venue that we booked our seats. How glad we were that we’d done that, the more so since we could look forward to hearing her again in Iris, tomorrow evening.
In between popups, recitals, pocket operas and the main productions this year, we’ve taken refuge in Simons Place. In fact, we’ve become quite the regulars in there, finding a warm welcome whether we’ve popped in for half an hour or for much longer.
This time was a quick turnaround, for after a couple of pints of Wickhams Wild IPA (!) last night, our friend Volker managed to persuade us that we should see The Gambler. This was possibly against all our better judgements, but hey, this is why we are here, isn’t it? We arrived to see the pre-show; the dancers painting the set. Hot Sin would soon become Hotel Casino, in case you are beginning to wonder!
Well, Prokofiev’s “jagged, modernist score” didn’t leave us humming a catchy tune and the story left us a little unmoved. It told of a couple of out of luck gamblers feeling disgruntled about a wealthy elderly relative (Grandma on stage, but an elderly Aunt in the explanation - you get the picture, though) who gambles away their inheritance too. How dare she? Though the set design was mostly fairly basic, the second act centred upon a “roulette wheel” created by the dancers, in their red and black tutus, which was most effective.
Judging from the general conversation as we left: “great performance, shame about the work”. Sorry Prokofiev.
Another series of events on Saturday gave us chance to enjoy a quick cup of tea in the theatre’s rooftop cafe-bar. somewhere which is usually bursting at the seams whenever we’ve tried to get a table.
The views from up there are fabulous and on a clear day like today, the fresh air from the open doors was most welcome.
Another day, another recital. Here, we heard Yuchen Pan and Deirdre Higgins, who brought our 2026 recital programme to a great finish.
After a pint of Guinness in Simon’s, we set up our interval drinks back at the theatre, where we were looking forward to the final performance of the 2026 Festival: Mascagni’s Iris.
As ever, the evening began with the Irish National Anthem, to which our German friends know - and sing in Irish, every single word. Though I searched for a better recording to link here, you’ll simply have to use your imagination, for the sound in the theatre here, every single evening, is spine tingling and utterly magnificent.
At the conclusion of Iris, after the conventional curtain calls, the whole company were brought on stage; the performers, volunteers, stage hands, designers, prop people, administrators - everyone. The audience rose to their feet with generous - and well deserved - applause for the remarkably small team of people who have put this Festival together in this, the 75th anniversary year.
There was only one way to end the Festival, of course.
Though I didn’t capture a photo of this year’s finale, thankfully, someone did. Not only that, they shared it on their Instagram page. Now, I know the four of us are there, but can you spot us? 😉
