“This whole show is terrific, its well thought out, its well realised, and as you can hear it demands a really committed and skillful singer and Robert Tucker was all that and then some.” – RNZ
“The double performance — one inside, the other from outside, wearing headphones — ingeniously sustained an entire evening from just one short work as well as adding new and thought-provoking context.”
“..a must-see” – NZ Herald
“This show was part of New Zealand Opera’s new stated strategy of revisioning opera in this country, of engaging new audiences and reimagining the relationship between artist and audience. On the evidence of this magnetic performance, they are off to a good start.” – Bachtrack
“Eight Songs for a Mad King proves that New Zealand Opera is willing to push boundaries and challenge the status quo, a move that should be widely applauded.” – Ambient Light
“Go see NZ Opera’s surprise package, this is theatre you need to experience.” – Radio 13
“The eight songs have clever mix of texts, commentaries and descriptions related to the king’s life and there even references to Handel’s Messiah. The music can be challenging but is ultimately engaging and rewarding.” – NZ Arts Review
“Its dual-performance aspect gives it a singular kind of appeal, no matter in what order one experiences the “outside/inside” presentation, be it a savouring of expectation beforehand, or food for thought afterwards!” – Middle C
“NZ baritone Robert Tucker offers a virtuoso display of disintegration in which his voice moves from the alto to upper bass in a manner that is nothing short of astonishing.” – Dominion Post
“Robert Tucker is wildly talented. In a conventional part, his deliciously resonant baritone warms your cockles, and his charismatic and sensitive characterisation brings a part to life. He is, truly, a brilliant operatic star.” – The Wellingtonista
“The concept was inspired.”
“Stroma and their conductor Hamish McKeich were superb, outstanding.”
“Robert Tucker’s voice was fantastic, coping with the five octave range admirably. His acting was outstanding. Intense, volatile, confused, angry, violent, fearful, flirty, manic, despondent – he had it all.” – DMS Review Blog
“The music is commanding, stirring, and Tucker’s performance is all consuming: just like the best most brutal car wrecks, you simply can’t look away.“
“You’d be mad not to go.” – Theatreview
“The text is inherently engaging, amplified by Robert Tucker’s total commitment to his role as the titular King.” – Regional News
Eight Songs for a Mad King opens in Auckland on 11 March and Christchurch on 25 March.
