Ercole – Slide 29

Ercole – Slide 28 ‘Sara Erde, the brilliant choreographer who was also my Assistant Director,  was introduced to me by the great Plàcido Domingo. Her presence in Spoleto for Ercole enabled me to further explore the physical side of this war of the sexes.’

Ercole – Slide 27 ‘Pascoe’s production is witty and effective.’

Ercole – Slide 26 ‘Mary Ellen Nesi camps it up superbly as Antiope, and with the flashiest music in the score stops the show a few times … she’s very exciting.’

Ercole – Slide 25 ‘Sex and power are definitely on the agenda here!’

Ercole – Slide 24 ‘Mary-Ellen Nesi is totally convincing dramatically, and her arias – standard Baroque items of rage, attempted suicide and grief – seem never generalised, always deeply motivated, excellently sung and musically direct.’

Ercole – Slide 23 ‘Antiope the Amazon queen appears in thigh-length boots and a close-fitting costume in boudoir red, every inch the dominatrix.’

Ercole – Slide 22 ‘Balancing Stains in impressive presence is the excellent mezzo-soprano Mary-Ellen Nesi as the Amazon leader Antiope.’

Ercole – Slide 21 ‘The directing is very intense: no one is allowed to come onto the stage and just sing!’

Ercole – Slide 20 ‘Tenor Zachary Stains, plays the role nude, with only a lion-skin cape billowing dramatically behind him and commands the stage like a gorgeous classical statue come to life. Rather than coming off as a cheap stunt, the effect of his nudity comes off brilliantly.’