Buxton International Festival - Handel’s Amadigi di Gaula 2026

Dumped from the Island

It was great fun to return to Handel this summer in Amadigi di Gaula at Buxton International Festival, singing Dardano in Olivia Fuchs’ witty and sharply observed production, conducted by Erin Helyard with the English Concert.

Dardano is one of those roles that packs a great deal into a relatively small amount of stage time: bravura, jealousy, vulnerability and some of Handel’s most beautiful music, not least Pena tiranna. With such a small cast, it was especially enjoyable to work closely with some old friends and new, while exploring the contrast between Dardano’s outward swagger and the more exposed emotional world that gradually emerges underneath.

The production was received with real enthusiasm, and I was particularly grateful for the response to both the dramatic and musical sides of the performance.

Here are a few of the reviews:

“James Hall once again confirms the full extent of his talent… Pena tiranna, performed with deeply moving intensity, becomes one of the great emotional high points of the performance. His clear, powerfully projected timbre and commanding physical presence allow him to rival the hero with ease.” — Baroque News (translated from the original French)

“It’s James Hall’s Dardano who really steals this show… The power and emotion of his big aria at the beginning of Act Two was a moment of beauty that deservedly brought cheers from the house.” - Northern Arts Review

“James Hall is a match for him in passionate intensity… and has excellent variety of tone and intensity.” - The Arts Desk

“Hall’s vocal agility gives Dardano plenty of bite, though a lovely ‘Pena tiranna’ comes dangerously close to hero vibes.” - The Guardian

“Morgan makes the seemingly endless runs in the complex arias seem effortless; Hall is, if anything, even more fluent.” - The Stage

“It was a commanding performance… crowned by an account of ‘Pena tiranna’ that was musical, intense and physically vivid.“ - Planet Hugill

“James Hall’s Dardano makes a stronger effect in his great aria Pena tiranna, with its dotted rhythms and striding bassoon line, which here opens the second half.” - The Telegraph