Role Reviews
The smaller roles are all finely cast, ... Rosalind Plowright’s Contessa, bristling with a sense of her own entitlement, Tim Ashley - Guardian - 31 May 2024
Rosalind Plowright owned the stage, a full confidence assumption, treasurable and impressive Colin Clark - Seen & Heard - 2 Jun 2024
and Rosalind Plowright (Contessa di Coigny) camped it up to delightful effect and livened some occasionally uninspired blocking. Daniel Lewis - The Times - 31 May 2024
The acting was uniformly excellent ---- Rosalind Plowright’s impossibly over-entitled Countess David Karlin - Bachtrack - 31 May 2024
There are some fine singers in the many supporting roles, notably the veteran Rosalind Plowright as the Contessa Nicholas Kenyon - Telegraph - 1 June 2024
Finally, I must mention my great delight at seeing Rosalind Plowright in the role of Maddalena's mother, the Contessa di Coigny. This great singer has been gracing our opera houses for almost 50 years and it was a true pleasure to see and hear how well she still performs. William Harston - Daily Express - 7 Jun 2024
And it is remarkable how important female characters in general are in this opera, from the imperious Contessa di Coigny (Rosalind Plowright), Claudia Pritchard - Culture Whisper - 31 May 2024
The opera has many small roles, with exceptional standouts on this occasion ... Rosalind Plowright as Maddalena’s haughty aristocrat mother, the Countess of Coigny; George Hall - The Stage - 31 May 2024
In the supporting cast, there are fine performances too from the great Rosalind Plowright as the Contessa, The Arts Shelf - 12 June 2024
It was good to see Rosalind Plowright, a star from my youth, playing the part of the old countess. Hugh Kerr - Edinburgh Music Review - 31 May 2024
Amongst a large cast of bit parts, it would be frivolous to try and appraise all but there were some notable examples, worthy of mention ... Rosalind Plowright sang wonderfully as the Contessa, with the right amount of haughtiness Mike Hardy - Operawire - 31 May 2024
Although these three are the main protagonists the rest of the singing was excellent, notably Rosalind Plowright as the countess, Mark Ronan - The Article - 1 Jun 2024
Rosalind Plowright mixed haughtiness with camp as the Comtesse de Coigny, to excellent effect Ditlev Rindom - Opera Magazine - August 2019
Countess of Coigny, sung and acted in her inimitable way by Rosalind Plowright (Maddalena in 1984) on the eve of her seventieth birthday. Jim Pritchard - Seen and Heard International - 22 May 2019
Act 1 she is particularly helped by Rosalind Plowright on good form as the Contessa . Francis Muzzu - Opera Now - 30 May 2019
The smaller roles are all well taken, with pride of place for the evergreen Rosalind Plowright’s Countess (singing on the eve of her 70th birthday) Martin Kettle - The Guardian - 21 May 2019
On the eve of her 70th birthday Rosalind Plowright invested the ancien régime Contessa di Coigny with formidable dignity. Barry Millington - The Standard - 21 May 2019
There are fine cameos, including ... Rosalind Plowright (who sang Maddalena on this stage 35 years ago) returning as she turns 70 to play the crusty Countess di Coigny. Richard Morrison - The Times - 21 May 2019
Rosalind Plowright, who sang Maddalena opposite José Carreras here in 1984, made an impact as the Countess Mark Pullinger - Bachtrack - 21 May 2019
Rosalind Plowright makes a delightfully camp Contessa di Coigny Richard Fairman - Financial Times - Jan 2015
Rosalind Plowright as the Contessa Di Coigny is a star turn with her 'let them eat cake' neurosis over her new gown while starving peasants are beating the palace doors in. Melinda Hughes - Spear's - Jan 2015
...Liveried servants light the candles on the chandeliers for a reception that Rosalind Plowright’s autocratic Countess is holding at her chateau, Clare Colvin - Daily Express - Jan 2015
Rosalind Plowright (who sang Maddalena in the production 30 years ago) was a characterful Contessa di Coigny, her hairdo adding a strong sense of caricature. Robert Hugill - Planet Hugill - Jan 2015
The opera's many vivid character roles are expertly handled by Rosalind Plowright, all flighty hauteur as the Contessa di Coigny; Patrick Dillon - Opera News - Jan 2017
Rosalind Plowright’s Countess, Elena Zilio’s Madelon and Denyce Graves’ Bersi all make appreciable marks. George Hall - The Stage - Jan 2015
Rosalind Plowright’s vicious Countess di Coigny, Tim Ashley - The Guardian - Jan 2015
... with particularly notable cameos from Rosalind Plowright as a haughty Countess di Coigny and mother of Maddalena (a role she sang at Covent Garden thirty years ago) ... Mark Ronan - www.markronan.com - Jan 2015
... and Rosalind Plowright was luxury casting as the Countess Melanie Eskenazi - www.musicomh.com - Jan 2015
but it’s a particular bonus seeing Rosalind Plowright (the Royal Opera’s Maddalena at their last Chénier staging, 30 years ago) return as the Contessa di Coigny. Alexandra Coghlan - www.theartsdesk.com - Jan 2015
... it was a nice idea to have Rosalind Plowright back, this time as Maddalena’s mother, and she gave a witty, very fine performance. Operanotes - Jan 2015
Here we were lucky again in having superbly sketched cameos from … Rosalind Plowright as the vain and fussy Contessa whose Ancien Régime party starts the evening ... George Smart - Harpers Bazaar - Jan 2015
The opera itself starts promisingly …led by the haughty Contessa di Coigny (Rosalind Plowright). Edward Seckerson - The Spectator - Jan 2015
Nor by the extensive and distinguished supporting cast, I dare say, for the most part at least. Rosalind Plowright brings the Contessa di Coigny to tremendous life .... Mark Valencia - What's On Stage - Jan 2015
Strong casting throughout brings excellence in many smaller roles, too, notably Rosalind Plowright’s haughty Comtesse de Coigny George Hall - The Stage - 21 May 2019
The opera opens with at a lavish party thrown by the Countess di Coigny (an imperious Rosalind Plowright), Claudia Pritchard - Culture Whisper - 22 May 2019
and English mezzo-soprano Rosalind Plowright (Contessa Di Coigny) also both turn out memorable performances, despite the minimal stage time. Shawna Warmington-Brown - The Up Coming - 22 May 2019
