Particle.news
Download on the App Store

‘Death of Gesualdo’ Draws Rave Reviews as UKUS Tour Begins

Bill Barclay’s theatrical concert pairs The Gesualdo Six’s performances with mimed tableaux of the composer’s turbulent life.

Overview

  • The St Martin-in-the-Fields run has concluded, with dates now moving to York and New York as part of a broader UKUS tour.
  • Created and directed by Bill Barclay, the 75-minute work was co-commissioned by St Martin-in-the-Fields, the National Centre for Early Music and Music Before 1800.
  • Reviewers praised The Gesualdo Six, led by musical director Owain Park, for impeccably tuned, expressive singing that anchors the show.
  • Design and movement earned strong notices, highlighting Will Tuckett’s choreographed tableaux, Arthur Oliver’s period costumes, Bill Barclay’s lighting, and a child puppet by Janni Younge.
  • Critics observed that the hybrid format and absence of surtitles can obscure narrative details, yet they described the staging as a potent psychological portrait of Gesualdo.