What you need to knowThe English National Opera's revival of Puccini's well-loved opera La Bohème has opened at the Coliseum, London. Jonathan Miller's 2009 production has been reworked by Natascha Metherell.
La Bohème tells the story of two young bohemians, Mimi and Rodolfo, who fall in love in Paris and have a fleeting and doomed love affair. Miller moved the action from the 19th century to Paris in the 1930s.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What the critics likeThis beautifully integrated piece of music theatre is sung with great fluency and acted with an understated veracity, says Tim Ashley in The Guardian. The orchestra is terrific and the performances are glorious – "it's immensely moving".
"With Jonathan Miller's production of La Bohème we step into a photo album of Parisian life in the 1930s," says Richard Fairman in the Financial Times. Splendid performances, including American soprano Angel Blue's outstanding Musetta, make this the ENO's most entertaining La Bohème for some while.
Oleg Caetani conducts the music with "passion and urgency", says Richard Morrison in The Times. The orchestra plays with exceptional colour and fluidity and the fizzing pace of the opening scene helps brings the whole show to life.
What they don't like"Miller's Bohème isn't a game-changer," says Alexandra Coghlan on Theartsdesk. But if its gentle realism and "blindingly good" music can persuade some first-time opera-goers to take a risk on another show, then it doesn't need to be.
-
August 30 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump's role reversal and King George III
-
5 bullseye cartoons about the reasons for mass shootingsCartoons Artists take on gun worship, a price paid, and more
-
Lisa Cook and Trump's battle for control the US FedTalking Point The president's attempts to fire one of the Federal Reserve's seven governor is represents 'a stunning escalation' of his attacks on the US central bank
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim RobinsonThe Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptationThe Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff GoldblumThe Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thrillerThe Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
-
How to do F1: British Grand Prix 2025The Week Recommends One of the biggest events of the motorsports calendar is back and better than ever
