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Reviews by John O'Brien

About John OBrien

JOHN O’BRIEN born in London in 1960 is a born and bred Londoner. His mother was an illiterate Irish traveller. His early years were spent in Ladbroke Grove. He was born at number 40 Lancaster Road. In 1967 the family was rehoused in Hackney. He attended Brooke House School for Boys in Clapton, - as did Lord Sugar. He became head boy and was the first person in his family to make it to university, gaining a place at Goldsmiths College in 1978. He took a degree in Sociology and a PGCE . From 1982 until 1993 he taught at schools in Hackney and Richmond. In 1984-85 he attended Bristol University where he gained a Diploma in Social Administration. From 1985 until 1989 he studied part-time in the evenings for a degree in English Literature at Birkbeck College. He stayed on at Birkbeck from 1990-1992 to study for an MA in Modern English Literature. He left teaching in 1993 and has worked as a tutor, researcher, writer and tour guide. He leads bespoke guided tours on London’s history, art , architecture and culture. He has attended numerous courses at Oxford University - Exeter College, Rewley House & Kellogg College. In London, he attends courses at Gresham College, The National Gallery, The British Museum, The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, The British Academy and The Royal Society. Read the latest London theatre reviews by all reviewers.

ENO The Marriage of Figaro at the London Coliseum | Review

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Another smash hit from WAM! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) the eighteenth-century superstar of classical music who started composing aged 5, was dead by 35 but had by then written over 600 works including four of the greatest operas of all time: The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), Cosi fan tutte (1790) and The Magic Flute (1791). The Marriage of Figaro is a comic masterpiece that delights at every turn. It is Four Weddings and a Funeral without the funeral. A cross between A … [Read more...]

Love, Loss & Chianti at Riverside Studios | Review

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As a Londoner born and bred I like to visit new arts venues and marvel at the extraordinary transformations that are happening all over this great city. The new Riverside Studios which opened in October 2019 take up the entire ground floor of a residential apartment block facing the Thames fifty metres from Hammersmith Bridge. A large foyer doubles as an art gallery, leading off are two theatres, two cinemas, a cafe, a restaurant, a free cloakroom and plenty of toilets. A wonderful addition to … [Read more...]

Madam Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini at the London Coliseum | Review

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It’s no accident that Puccini wrote Madam Butterfly in 1905. Japan had announced itself on the world stage by defeating Russia. It was the first Asian nation to win a war against a modern industrialized power. It was an event that undermined lazy assumptions of white racial superiority. Puccini’s opera can be seen as a landmark in the dialogue between 'the West' and Japan. However, it was to be America, not Russia that proved most influential in shaping modern Japan. Puccini captures this macro … [Read more...]

Dances at a Gathering / The Cellist | Live Screening | Review

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Dances at a Gathering / The Cellist is a magnificent double bill from the Royal Ballet, which I saw last night in a live screening at the Curzon Richmond. The Cellist tells the story of the triumph and tragedy of Jacqueline du Pre. Triumph because she became the most famous and glamorous cellist in the world and tragic because she was dead by 28, cruelly cut down by multiple sclerosis. The choreographer Cathy Marston’s idea, to make the cello a character is a masterstroke. We see the ballet … [Read more...]

ENO’s Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi at London Coliseum | Review

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Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) is one of the greats of Italian opera. Best known for Aida and as the composer of the dramatic music for The X Factor. Translated into English his name is Joseph Green. He is the man who sexed up opera. Bringing in adultery, rape, prostitution and violence. Searching for a vehicle that would allow him to explore the power struggles within society on the domestic level Verdi hit upon the idea of adapting Schiller’s play Intrigue and Love (1874). This had the added … [Read more...]