ETO: Giulio Cesare: The Death of Pompey

English Touring Opera - Handel Giulio Cesare - Christopher Ainslie, Soraya Mafi (Photo Richard Hubert Smith)

Last night, 4 October 2017 we were at the first part of English Touring Opera's imaginative presentation of Handel's Giulio Cesare performed uncut over two evenings at the Hackney Empire. Last night as Giulio Cesare: The Death of Pompey and tonight we return for Giulio Cesare: Cleopatra's Needle. James Conway directs and Jonathan Peter Kenny conducts, with a strong cast including Christopher Ainslie as Giulio Cesare, Soraya Mafi as Cleopatra, Catherine Carby as Cornelia, Kitty Whately as Sesto and Benjamin Williamson as Tolomeo. Last night we left Cleopatra heartbroken after 'Piangero', I can wait for the next instalment. A full review of both parts will appear tomorrow, but in the meanwhile here is a picture from part one.