Review - Davit Bek Opera at the Benjamin Britten Theatre London - Royal College ... By Seta

Davit Bek                                       

Music a and Libretto by Armen Tigranian

London Armenian Opera Chorus and Orchestra

Artistic Director Aris Nadirian, Orchestral Arrangements and all round title character actor who also sings the part of Davit Bek! In his opening address to the audience Nadirian attributes the Opera to The Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

Where does one begin...? This is not only a ‘Love Story’ of two Royal love interests, a true occurrence of The 1915 Armenian Genocide, [BY THE YOUNG TURK ORGANISATION] of which the official Turkish line is DENIEL... They don’t mean ‘De-Nile’ in Egypt. 

The three Act Historic Opera hand the audience in tears with the brutal reinactments of the inhuman and brutal deaths of our ancestral relations on our own lands.

The historic costumes were well researched, directorial settings were meticulously planed and smooth transitions. The simplicity of staging hi-lighted the costumes, the audience concentrated on the music and the facial expressions of the characters. The clever use of gobo’s took the audience through the 3 Act Opera.

The two night performances were well received at the Benjamin Britten Theatre  in London in the bowled of the Royal College. 

The Manchester diaspora wish the performance to take place much closer to home in Manchester! There are some really wonderful spaces one can explore, setting the opera in the round, for instance. 

The audience were amazed at the heavily pregnant soprano Tereza Gevorgyan; her stamina and grace playing the part of Shushan, the love interest co-existing along side, was a tentative and worrying moments when her ‘Hoozvats‘ moments resembled the first stages of child birth.  

The character Tamar played by Anais Heghoyan, had stage presence and was commanding, she stood out as Regal as she sang her impressive Arias. 

All ‘Thanks’ go to the benefactors for their support and generosity!


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Extracts from the Opera Davit Bek performed by


London Armenian Opera
at the Royal College of Music in December 2015 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HoNQMdUo19Q&sns=fb