What people say – The Human Voice

We were thrilled with the receptions from audiences and reviewers to our micro-production of The Human Voice, presented in hotel rooms across New Zealand. Read the reviews below. (Photo credit, Grant Triplow).

Much, of course, hinges on Atlas’s performance as Elle – and it is exceptionally good. Her portrayal of a woman in distress is finely nuanced, resisting any tendency towards melodrama. It is a portrait full of nuance, Elle’s constant self-deprecation sitting side-by-side with emotionally manipulative gestures. Atlas’s sinewy voice is also beautifully suited to the role, the musical writing of which emphasises recitative-style passages and small, terse intervals. The rare moments of melodic richness and forte singing are all the more effective as contrasts. In the background, pianist David Kelly provides the jagged, unsettling accompaniment to Elle’s emotional turmoil. – Max Rashbrooke, Scoop

Read the full review here

Amanda Atlas is an impressive dramatic performer, with a rich and powerful soprano voice.  Somehow all that charisma and vocal force was compressed into a smaller, more brittle woman, Elle (She), as she weathers one last phone conversation with the lover who has left her.  The Human Voice follows Elle as she waits for that phonecall, and along the complex emotional path the conversation takes. – Sophie Thompson, The Wellingtonista

Read the full review here

McAndrew’s “gauging of vocal intensity is perfect for the small venue” – William Dart, NZ Herald

Read the full review here