The mirrored set by Tom Piper is a perfect fit for the semi-open air sides of the theater, and the characters were imagined in daringly modern ways — what a joy to see a queer Polina on stage after years of headcanon! A very difficult opera imagined with full dramatic coherence and thrilling energy.
The best thing I saw in 2025 was The Queen of Spades
Garsington’s new production of The Queen of Spades, directed by Jack Furness, had better become a house staple.
Carmen Paddock
Carmen Paddock has been opera-obsessed since the age of twelve; hailing from a rock and country music family, the name is a coincidence. An American in Scotland, she writes about film, opera, and adaptations.
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Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
