Page 134 - FINAL_The Sixteen Coverage Book 40th Anniversary Year
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soldiers, now Jewish refugees, now Babylonian pleasure-seekers. The scene in the changing rooms must
have been manic all night.
Daniel Slater’s production looks good, placing a mini Tower of Babel as its centrepiece, and tells the story
of the fall of Babylon in a trendy but timeless style. He even manages to stage a decent orgy without it
becoming laughable.
A respectable cast is headed by Robert Murray, playing Belshazzar as a Nero-like maniac, eyes ablaze with
crazed excess. Claire Booth sings his grieving mother Nitocris with a high-quality soprano. James Laing
captures well the messianic visionary Daniel, Christopher Ainslie sings a not-quite-commanding warrior
Cyrus, and Henry Waddington is the ever-sturdy Gobrias. In all, Belshazzar makes a shorter and more fun
evening than a Handel opera, a good way to mark The Sixteen’s 40th anniversary.
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