Reviews

As Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Iford Arts

“Suzanne Shakespeare as the extravagantly trilling Eurydice.”

www.theftr.co.uk, 8 July 2015

“Suzanne Shakespeare’s Eurydice hits her top notes with impunity.”

Rian Evans, The Guardian, www.theguardian.com, 6 July 2015

“Suzanne Shakespeare makes a deliciously empty-headed Eurydice with a nice line in insouciant coloratura.”

Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, www.telegraph.co.uk, 2 July 2015

As The Swan in Swanhunter, Opera North and The Wrong Crowd

“…but arguably the most demanding puppetry assignment falls to Suzanne Shakespeare as the Swan.  She skilfully manipulates a life-sized swan while simultaneously delivering Dove’s lengthy and stratospherically high-lying wordless vocal line with needle sharp precision.”

Geoffrey Mogridge, www.operabritanniauk.wordpress.com, 20 April 2015

“…a gorgeously lyrical coloratura swan (Suzanne Shakespeare)”

Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian, www.theguardian.com, 12 April 2015

“Suzanne Shakespeare as the Swan sings an exquisitely high aria that lingers in the stratosphere.”

Clare Colvin, Sunday Express, www.express.co.uk, 12 April 2015

The writing for soprano (the Swan sung by the magnificent Suzanne Shakespeare) is difficult, ultra-high and florid. Shakespeare seemed the perfect interpreter.

Colin Clarke, www.seenandheard-international.com, 9 April 2015

“Suzanne Shakespeare’s vocal as the Swan is just stunning”

Camilla Gurtler, www.ayoungtheatre.com, 7 April 2015

“Dove says he was attracted to the subject because in the story, singing has magical powers, and there are indeed several points where one of the characters has a striking moment of resplendent vocalism, most notably when soprano Suzanne Shakespeare’s Swan rises to stratospheric heights and then stays there, floating up above for several minutes.”

George Hall, The Guardian, www.theguardian.com, 6 April 2015

“The highlight though, both of the opera and of the evening, is Suzanne Shakespeare’s other-worldliness as the voice of the Swan. It’s startling, magical and good enough to grace a better work than this.”

Mark Valencia, www.whatsonstage.com, 5 April 2015

“But it’s Suzanne Shakespeare’s Swan that stands apart, gifted with an extraordinary vocalise of an aria by Dove, soaring higher above the stave than any Swan ever managed with complete control and purity of tone.”

Alexandra Coghlan, www.theartsdesk.com, 5 April 2015

As Marie in La Fille du Regiment, Iford Arts

“Daughter of the Regiment is an impossibility without a singer of exceptional power, variety and flexibility to sing the role of Marie, and in Australian soprano Suzanne Shakespeare the company has found the perfect performer, stepping into the famous shoes of La Stupenda with much more wit and acting ability and with no diminution of vocal excellence.”

www.theftr.co.uk, 6 July 2014

“Any “Fille” anywhere has always been an opera which stands or falls by the success of its Daughter of the Regiment; over the decades it has been defined by many by the quality of the soprano singing the role of Marie —from Jenny Lind, via the great Dame Joan Sutherland, and on to such modern day successes as Natalie Dessay. So it was a delight and a relief to hear young Australian-born soprano Suzanne Shakespeare take on the mantle with a fearless display of sparkling coloratura, trills and even a few decorations of her own. Her voice has both a warm middle and a shining top: E flats popped with aplomb, yet with “Il faut partir…” her goodbye to the gang in Act One, she found a touching pathos, ably drawn. A bravura performance from start to finish — a young star on the high road for sure.”

Sue Loder, www.operatoday.com, 6 July 2014

“Suzanne Shakespeare is full of enthusiasm and confidence as Marie, giving us a dexterous and exuberant performance.  I enjoyed her performance immensely, and we truly believe her tomboyish impatience with her new life, and die-hard commitment to the Regiment: in the notorious Singing Lesson scene, Shakespeare masters her very demanding music with panache.”

Charlotte Valori, www.bachtrack.com, 9 July 2014

“The result is an extremely lively show, graced by some excellent acting performances and skilled singing, notably from Suzanne Shakespeare’s Marie, whose fizzy soprano rises to all the high notes with complete coloratura aplomb.”

George Hall, www.thestage.co.uk, 9 July 2014

As Girl in Cafe Kafka, Royal Opera, Opera North and Aldeburgh Music

“Dazzling coloratura soprano Suzanne Shakespeare is the girl who knows her ‘goal’.”

Helen Wallace, www.classical-music.com, 20 March 2014

“Suzanne Shakespeare brought admirable vocal control and strength to the role of Girl.”

Edward Lewis, www.classicalsource.com, 17 March 2014

“Suzanne Shakespeare’s vocalism in the latter [Cafe Kafka] very much matched the éclat of the instrumental writing.”

Mark Berry, www.seenandheard-international.com, 19 March 2014

“Suzanne Shakespeare’s Girl was bubbly and vivacious.”

Katy Wright, www.bachtrack.com, 18 March 2014

“…coloratura Suzanne Shakespeare is a wonderfully ditzy blonde.”

Stephen Pritchard, The Observer, 23 March 2014

“The singers were surpurb throughout, all acting as well as they sang. Suzanne Shakespeare’s screeching coloratura hit the right note(s) of hysteria”

Nick Kimberley, Opera Magazine, May 2014

As Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Opera Australia

“Suzanne Shakespeare as the Queen of the Night gave a splendid rendition of her arias…what a top!”

Jennie Sharpe, www.artshub.com.au, 4 February 2012

As Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Bohemia

“The most dazzling performance is given by Suzanne Shakespeare, displaying amazing dexterity especially in the coloratura passages”

Miranda Heggie, http://www.heraldscotland.com, 20 August 2011

As Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Guildford Opera

“A stunning performance and sustained beautiful tone and meaningful singing, managing the flights of coloratura in the Mad Scene with ease.”

Angela Goodall, Words & Music, “Evening of total enjoyment”, Jan/Feb 2011

At the 2010 Australian Festival of Chamber Music

“Talented Melbourne-born soprano has been wowing Townsville crowds as part of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music…”

Andrew Stoutton, Townsville Bulletin, 4 August 2010

“Soloists, Piers Lane and singer Suzanne Shakespeare stunned the crowd with contemporary elergies…”

Gillian Wills, Townsville Bulletin, 6 August 2010

As Esmeralda in The Bartered Bride, Royal College of Music International Opera School

“Suzanne Shakespeare was an engaging and bright-toned Esmeralda.”

Alexander Campbell, www.classicalsource.com, June 28 2010

As Erato in Terpsicore, Royal College of Music International Opera School

“Suzanne Shakespeare’s Erato was deliciously winsome, and funny in all the right ways – the wide-eyed novice to Jake Arditti’s world-weary Apollo.  There was nothing amusing about her singing however, which grew in assurance through the prologue, delivering a full and attractive tone and plucking some impeccably tuned top notes from the air in ‘Di Parnasso i dolci accenti’.”

Alexandra  Coghlan,Opera Britannia, www.opera-britannia.com, March 29 2010

“…with Suzanne Shakespeare warm and energetic as his [Apollo’s] ally Erato.”

Claudia Pritchard, www.independent.co.uk, March 28 2010

“The lively Suzanne Shakespeare, featured in Terpsicore, should also be noted.”

Geoff Brown, www.timesonline.co.uk, March 23 2010

As Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Royal College of Music International Opera School

“…the real impact, however, was made by Suzanne Shakespeare as the Queen of Night.  It was not so much her vocal acrobatics that impressed as her lively projection of her words – this is a singer with potential, both vocal and dramatic.”

Stuart Jenkins, www.musicalpointers.co.uk, December 2009

“The Queen of the Night’s fireworks were stunningly delivered by Suzanne Shakespeare…”

Michael Tanner, www.classicalsource.com, December 9 2009

“Amazingly that [good diction] can also be said of Suzanne Shakespeare’s Queen of the Night too. In this impossible part she acquitted herself very well indeed – the first aria ‘O zittre nicht’ was probably the more successful, not least as the slower section was so well sung. The coloratura of both arias was neatly dispatched, too.”

Alexander Campbell, www.classicalsource.com, November 20 2009

“…an impressive Queen of the Night from Suzanne Shakespeare, whose coloratura was accurate and cleanly delineated.”

Margaret Davies, Musical Opinion, May/June 2010, Issue number 1476

“…Suzanne Shakespeare negotiated the Queen of the Night’s stratospherics with good taste…”

Neil Fisher, The Times, www.timesonline.co.uk, December 2 2009

As Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Benjamin Britten International Opera School, Royal College of Music

“Suzanne Shakespeare’s Tytania was an excellent foil, and she managed to sing her difficult music with poise and allure, including some pretty dazzling high notes, words clear – no mean achievement.”

Alexander Campbell, www.classicalsource.com

As Serpetta in La Finta Giardiniera, Benjamin Britten International Opera School, Royal College of Music

“…the insolent maid Serpetta, played with great vivacity by Suzanne Shakespeare, observes the tantrums of the others with detachment until she, in turn, falls for the burly Nardo, a hearty soul as played by Aaron McAuley.  This pair foreshadows the more sympathetic Masetto and Zerlina, astute and rebellious underlings never over-awed by their masters.”

Stuart Jenkins, www.musicalpointers.co.uk, December 2008

As a Finalist in the 2007 German Operatic Award competition

“…one contestant [Suzanne Shakespeare] had the astonishing courage to tackle, for the first time in my years of operatic competition monitoring, Zerbinetta’s daunting aria from Ariadne auf Naxos…[and] emerged from it with flying colours…[managing] the plethora of gear changes in Zerbinetta with breathtaking aplomb.”

David Gyger, Opera-Opera “German Operatic Award to Leah Thomas”, November 2007, p 359.2

As a Finalist in the 2007 McDonald’s Operatic Aria competition

“…[Suzanne Shakespeare’s] coloratura was splendid and her sustained passages of text were negotiated with clarity.”

David Gyger, Opera-Opera “28-year-old tenor wins McDonald’s Aria”, October 2007, p 358.8

As Encouragement Award winner in the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria Competition

“…Suzanne Shakespeare, who coupled the Handel shepherd scene with a cuttingly clear reading of Mozart’s Et incarnatus from the C minor Mass.”

Clive O’Connell, The Age “Bass prevails in oratorio contest”, 26 June 2007, p 13

As Frasquita in Carmen, Melbourne Opera

“…soprano Suzanne Shakespeare shone with her assured singing and convincing characterisation.”

Josephine Giles, www.aussietheatre.com/revcarmen.htm, 6 June 2007

As Medora in Il Corsaro, Melbourne City Opera

“The wife is performed by Herald Sun Aria finalist Suzanne Shakespeare.  Her burnished chrome voice is quite perfect.  Her performance is subtle and charming.  Modest even.  Unlike some other cast members, she doesn’t overplay her hand.”

Chris Boyd, Herald Sun Review, 14 November 2006, p 60

“This plangently doleful role was taken by Suzanne Shakespeare, the chief success in Lyric Opera of Melbourne’s production during June of Vivaldi’s Giustino.  She gave the role its full value with an excellent account of her opening aria, which sets up her brooding, innately unhappy personality.  Even the final trio found her dominating the action and piercing through a fairly solid amount of competition.”

Clive O’Connell, Opera-Opera “Rousing pages of early Verdi worth hearing”, January 2007, p 349.18

“The gifted young soprano Suzanne Shakespeare sang beautifully as the suicidal lover with a light, flexible and secure coloratura.”

Barney Zwartz, The Age “Making the best of Verdi’s ‘worst’”, 13 November 2006, p 19

As a Finalist in the 2006 Herald Sun Aria competition

“Suzanne Shakespeare was arguably the most consistent performer of the night with her light but radiantly bright voice.  She showed extraordinary accuracy and flexibility over an extended range with no audible change of gear. She’s one of those rare sopranos who could tackle any role this side of Brunnhilde.”

Chris Boyd, Herald Sun “Six of the best make a stunning night”, 3 November 2006, p 89

As Arianna in Il Giustino, Lyric Opera

“As Arianna Suzanne Shakespeare gave the most well-rounded singing and characterisation, particularly in those intimate moments that she shared with Dodsworth where she was able to accomplish that most difficult of tasks: maintaining credibility in her impersonation even when mute.”

Clive O’Connell, Opera-Opera “Failed to catch imagination, despite stylish singing”, August 2006, p 344.22

In Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with Gloriana

“The illuminating moment of this performance came with Suzanne Shakespeare’s meltingly supple reading of Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit, the Gloriana voices ideally shaped to frame and eventually subsume her line.”

Clive O’Connell, The Age Music Review, 6 June 2006, p 11