The award winning Ellen Kent Productions, who consistently tour with their passionate and emotive opera company, were back in Stoke last night and what an absolute treat it was to attend their production of Verdi’s Aida. Arguably one of the grandest and most iconic of all opera productions, Aida was first performed in Egypt in 1871.

Kent’s current tour entails an array of mesmerising professional singers and features the Ukranian Opera and Ballet Theatre Kyiv. Mezzo-soprano Natalie Matveeva stars in the role of Amneris while sublime Korean soprano Elena Dee stars as Aida.  Also playing last night was the powerful Sorin Lupa as Radames and Olexandr Forkushak as Amonasro. A full orchestra conducted by Vasyl Vaslenko and an impressive chorus and ballet company also featured. Kent’s productions are always worth taking note of and are definitely worth putting into the cultural diary with Aida top of the league when it comes to intense drama and musical brilliance.

Aida is set in the ancient world of the pharaohs and focuses on the Egyptian and Ethiopian wars. This is not only a musical masterpiece of gigantic proportions, it is also a feast of a visual magnitude where the architectural grandeurs intertwine with the dramatic tragedies most often associated with love and conflict, religion and revenge.  This particular opera has it all and Kent’s current offering is outstanding.

Considered as one of the greatest pieces of music Verdi ever wrote, Aida is ultimately the story of passion and jealousy which surrounds the union of a beautiful Ethiopian slave girl (who is actually a princess) and her Egyptian lover Radames.  The doomed love of the tragic pairing is sadly destined to be controlled by the religious hold of the priests of Egypt and the fact that their countries are at war with each other. As such, the narrative unravels with intensity and suspense in the splendour of a gloriously evocative stage set full of Egyptology artefacts and magnificent costumes.

Alongside the stunning visual performance of Aida comes an array of famous arias such as Celeste Aida and Ritorna Vincitor and the captivating musical cresendo of the Triumphal March. The latter has pomp and ceremony of dynastic proportions which so distinguishes opera as an art form.

Verdi excelled in the conception and production of Aida and last night's audience at Stoke's Regent Theatre witnessed a pure masterpiece on stage. 

Five stars

Reviewed by Carol Lovatt at Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday 14 February. Aida next shows at The Alexandra, Birmingham, on Wed 19 April

Ellen Kent Productions return to the Regent Theatre with La Bohème, Sunday 26 March.