Irish stage director Orpha Phelan's production of Bernstein's A Quiet Place in her debut with Opera Zuid in Maastricht, has been awarded the title Opera of the Year 2018 by Place de l’Opera. Competing against six acclaimed productions (including three from Dutch National Opera), Orpha's opera was nominated by critics, and won the audience vote in late December in the Netherlands. Read the full article here.
The production received high praise from critics:
“The action on stage illustrates how well Orpha Phelan has listened to, and understood the music.”
de Limburger*****
“Orpha Phelan (director) and Madeleine Boyd (set design & costumes) have opted for a unique setting in which a change of place and time is made clear by means of minimal changes. It works wonderfully well - everything is thought through, with sophisticated lighting from Matthew Haskins and beautiful choreography from Lauren Poulton. Exemplary. This Quiet Place is a fantastic production, a performance with a golden edge, giving Opera Zuid a great trump card for a successful tour of Dutch theatres, along with a trip to Luxembourg.”
Place de l'opera*****
“Strong direction from Orpha Phelan.”
de Volkskrant****
“Orpha Phelan's direction is relevant, inventive, humorous, heart warming. We already know Opera of The Year.”
Opera Gazet
“A Quiet Place was powerful precisely because director Orpha Phelan did not refer convulsively to historical or current storylines, which are outside the context of the opera itself. The emphasis of this family drama was in the American suburbs where it belongs.”
nrc.nl****
“This production is in the hands of the prize-winning duo Orpha Phelan and Madeleine Boyd.”
Chapeau Magazine
Later this season, Orpha directs Bernard Herrmann's Wuthering Heights in the new production at Opera National de Lorraine, Nancy. You can read more here.
