... Ernani Manchester Sachio Fujioka stepped into the breach to conduct the first two performances of the Royal Northern College of Music's full scale production of Verdi's opera Emani when Noel Davies had to step down. Both orchestra and conductor rose to the occasion and were in fine form. This has been restaged by Stefan Janski but still retains the designs of Maria Bjomson. who has set the ...

... Tosca Sevenoaks What a time they are taking, frets Tosca, as she awaits her lover Cavaradossi's mock execu tion. It was a thought that struck me forcefully halfway through the Love Duet of Act I. Conductor Jonathan Butcher dragged the score along in an excess of expressivity which ren dered the drama of Tosca a shapeless goo. Section followed section devoid of rhythmic momentum. The ...

... Vintage players never better Sonning The Best of British Good evening. As you can see most of us are vintage, says the ebullient Kenny Baker, bounding to the microphone. What vintage! Six exceptional musicians with a total of over 400 years experience between them and knowing all the tricks of the trade. Baker Don Lusher, Jack Pamell, togeth er with Roy Willox, Brian Lemon and Lennie Bush ...

... Simple, new and effective Touring Essential Scottish Opera Scottish Opera's small scale touring wing set off this spring with a new format. There were no snazzy sets or costumes, just four young singers with their musical director at the piano, and a couple of chairs. Essential Scottish Opera is an evening of 'highlights', some of the best known arias with a few less familiar ones tossed in. ...

... Voulez Vous Worthing If the presentation of nostalgia has evolved into a fascinating art form, as is now universally accepted, then the vintage Abba staging by Voulez Vous is the ulti mate expression of that genre. The range and commitment of this 70 minute non-stop show found no lack of response in a Worthing Pavilion audience which indulged in its own special brand of participation during ...

... Still waiting for a hit to happen Blackpool The Denny Laine Band If ever it had crossed his mind that crossing swords with Paul McCartney was not the shrewdest career move, if ever he'd felt maybe he bailed out of the Moody Blues just a hit or two too soon, that could have been the moment when Denny Laine walked out on to the stage of the Blackpool Tower Lounge. Billed as the rock survivor ...

... Clive chances prime move BY LISA VANOLI After five years away from the TV spotlight, Clive Owen has been lured back by a shady character from his home streets of south London Clive Owen leapt into the limelight when he took on the role of Stephen Crane in Chancer and he sustained the giddy heights with a series of diverse film and theatre roles. The rugged Coventry- born actor was overwhelmed ...

... Soggy steps to uninspired end Turtle Key X/Albatross/Axis Any choreographer who elects to use a score by Alfred Schnittke has his or her work cut out since the composer's music is not particularly dance friendly. Certainly the dramatic intensi ty of Liv Lorent's choice of music, Concerto Grosso No 1/ Quasi una Sonata, with its perilously high screechings (seriously over amplified in the ...

... Cardiff For the 11th successive year Chris Chambers' annual Charity Spectacular at the Rumney and St Mellons British Legion Club drew a capacity audience, who loved every minute of a fast moving show that contained something to please all tastes. Highspot of talented guitarist Roger Andrews' act was a selec tion of Shadows favourites, before music of an entirely differ ent kind from songstress ...

... Forever in Blue Jeans Hayes Having seen an extract from this new commercial country and western offering, Forever in Blue Jeans, at the Xclusive Extravaganza showcase late last year, it was interesting to compare preview with premiere. In a showcase environment the excerpts from the production were required to be punchy and succinct. A variety of musical numbers were moulded together with ...

... Spring Showtime '95 Porthcawl A most enthusiastic audience at Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion loudly applauded entertainers from England as well as Wales giving their services free in a charity gala performance of Showtime. Irish comedian Tommie Quinn had everyone rocking with laugh ter throughout a neverending stream of jokes, delivered with impeccable timing. Top ventriloquist Paul Levent also ...

... Variety Camden Palace Those who would throw the hatchet into the world of variety and music hall would have done well to see this spectacular extravaganza at London's famous Camden Palace. Here was a throwback to the great days of variety when you had a queue outside the box office which spread around the block. The elderly audience had come to enjoy themselves, were rowdy, shouted out in the ...