... Nabucco Manchester The richness and variety of this colourful Verdi score is explored with vigour by the Chisinau National Opera orchestra under the assertive baton of conductor Alexandra Samoila. The Romanian company, which performed at the Palace, has been brought to this country by Opera International, which was responsible for last year's successful Turandot. Nabucco, an ambitious work, ...

... Froggy Style Canal Cafe It seems strange that the art of cabaret is now almost non-existent in Paris, where it was once such a tradition, or so Francois Raffenaud believes. For the last couple of years the French artist has settled in London, where he hopes his work wil be taken a little more seriously. That is not to say that his show of French songs, a com bination of original texts and ...

... Cottle and Austen Electric Circus Caterham/Touring Gerry Cottle and Brian Austen have returned to the mix of pop music, comedy and circus which first gave them success 30 years ago. This show, in a Big Top on Westway Common, is unash amedly aimed at children and involves them whenever possible. A lively atmosphere ensues and although some acts have been on the circuit for a while, it is all ...

... Tasty trio's hot melodies Pizza on the Park John Pizzarelli Trio Armed with immaculate credentials, as the son of veteran American guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli played one of the most notable sets seen at this venue for many months. Like his dad, he is a brilliant musician, demonstrating dazzling single-string work, powerful and urgent chording, with the occasional accelerando of ...

... Neat and sexy interpretation Brentford/Touring The Marriage of Figaro Tight funds may necessitate piano accompanied opera and it enables small touring companies to take the art form to musically starved areas, but the clangorous monochrome barely hints at the beauties of instrumental colour, especially in so subtly-orchestrated a work as this. Still, Camberwell Pocket Opera's neat and often ...

... Simply: nbt Bradford It is Northern Ballet Theatre's 30th anniversary, it has a new artistic director and has secured a new sponsorship deal. nuwcvci, uio Miiidiiiuid Theatre show is not intended to be only a celebratory retrospec tive of the company's previous successes. It is also a tribute to the late artistic director Christopher Gable and a state ment of new targets under Stefano ...

... XlVth Soho Jazz and Heritage Festival Palace/Ronnie Scott's Soho's now-legendary association with jazz received its fullest celebration to date in an event packed with bands of all descriptions, poetry and history tours. Like the area itself, George Melly, whose jazz party at the Palace began the festival, needs little introduction. His ebullient style is never better than when, as here, he is ...

... Cassandra Wilson Royal Festival Hall Given her reputation for free-spirited jazz interpretation, there was something disappointingly monotonous and understated about Cassandra Wilson's performance. There were moments when her famously husky voice was never less than impressive, but also several in which the delivery was a little too sotto voce, with lyrics becoming lost amongst an instrumental ...

... A long shot in the dark London Coliseum Figaro's Wedding Graham vick's once interesting staging of Mozart's work, back at the Coliseum for a fourth run, is beginning to look tatty and tired. Act IV remains an abomination, the unlucky cast stumbling around like zombies, arms out stretched, simulating darkness. Still, there is much to enjoy, not least Jeremy Sams' wonder fully witty translation, ...

... Plenty of high quality talent Malta's first showcase featured 15 acts, all keen to make their mark on the overseas light entertainment scene. the event, held over two nights at the Palazzo Pescatore in St Paul's Bay, was organised by the Maltese M&E Mana gement Group in association with west London agent Derek Cobbing. There was plenty of high quality talent, much of it suitable for ...

... The Baiter of Seville Brentford/Touring Camberwell Pocket Opera's production of Rossini's work, here at Watermans Arts Centre, is not in the same class as its touring stabtemate, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro Piano accompaniment again undermines nuance and timbres and designer Annabel Lee provides her central truck with even more hinged painted flats to swing out for scene changes. So ...

... Sparkling acts shine through Bristol The Ivor Bennett Night of Music and Cabaret Leading Bristol agent Ivor Bennett managed to get the basics right at his annual showcase, which was held at the Bedminster Down Ex-Servicemen's Club, by employing a first rate stage manager in Brian Knight and an expert compere. The man in charge was Welsh entertainer Andy Rudge, who kept a tight hold of the ...