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Monica Bellucci: Maria Callas “Letters and Memoirs” (Susan Elkin reviews)

Monica Bellucci: Maria Callas “Letters and Memoirs” at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London.

Star rating: two stars ★ ★ ✩ ✩ ✩

Probably the most famous opera singer of her generation, Maria Callas (1923-1977) had terrific vocal power and charisma but we don’t get much sense of that in Monica Bellucci’s account of Albin Michel’s book Lettres & mémoires.

Bellucci is a model turned actor and models don’t smile. Neither does her Callas. For over an hour she speaks slowly, carefully and with anguish while we are told the source of her words – letters to her husband, teacher, Aristotle Onassis, Grace Kelly and various friends – on a projected back screen.

It’s very static piece of theatre based on a sofa. At one point she lies on it and at another she walks round it – and that’s the sum total of the action …

Read the rest of this review at Musical Theatre Review: https://musicaltheatrereview.com/monica-bellucci-maria-callas-letters-and-memoirs-her-majestys-theatre/

Author information
Susan Elkin Susan Elkin is an education journalist, author and former secondary teacher of English. She was Education and Training Editor at The Stage from 2005 - 2016
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