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English
Touring Opera Grand
Theatre, Wolverhampton ***
YOUNG people in the cast and the audience enjoyed a lesson on nature in
this short opera by Tobias Picker, based on a Roald Dahl story. Performing alongside
professionals, pupils from Wolverhampton's East Park Junior School
played fox cubs and youngsters from Woden Primary were singing trees in
the tale of how the cunning Mr Fox battled to protect his family from
three unpleasant farmers whose only motive was profit. It was pretty obvious who won
the hearts and minds of the audience when, at the curtain call, the
animals were cheered and farmers Boggis (Henry Grant Kerswell), Bunce (Marke
Wilde) and Bean (Maciek O'Shea), booed. Nicholas Merryweather sang
impressively as Mr Fox who had his beautiful bushy tail shot away by the
farmers but still managed to save his wife (Miriam Sharrad) and cubs,
even when a mechanical digger, Agnes (Fiona Kimm) was brought in. Costumes were colourful, and
the cast included loveable characters like Mole and Badger, and there
was even a love match between Hedgehog and Porcupine. Tim Yealland directed the
opera on Monday, and the ETO staged a double bill on Tuesday - Puccini's
Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi. Paul Marston
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