William  Robert Allenby - Baritone
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Reviews

Alcindoro (La Boheme)
Royal Opera House Covent Garden
She (Sonya Yoncheva) was making a house debut, too, as was William Robert Allenby, who brought a nice comic touch to Alcindoro.

Opera Magazine (Hugo Shirley)

...both Jeremy White's Benoit and William Robert Allenby's Alcindoro made strong impressions.

What's on Stage (Melanie Eskanazi)

Mill Foreman (Jenufa)
Scottish Opera
The comprimario roles were all well taken, notably William Robert Allenby's Foreman.

Opera Magazine (Andrew Clarke)

...all the smaller roles found worthy interpreters, notably... William Robert Allenby as the Mill Foreman...

Opera News, published by the Metropolitan Opera Guild (George Hall)

Sacristan (Tosca)
Welsh National Opera
... William Robert Allenby brought a nicely comic humour to the Sacristan.

The Guardian (Rian Evans)

A comedic touch relieves the dark intensity of the opening scene. Providing this, as the Sacristan, William Robert Allenby is in great form, gambolling around the stage with evident relish.

The Public Reviews (Barbara Michael's)

The Sacristan, superbly acted by William Robert Allenby.

Seen and Heard International (Robert J. Farr)

A rather charming piece of character singing and acting by William Robert Allenby as Sacristan - a church caretaker.

Bristol 24-7 (Andy Batten-Foster)

William Robert Allenby shone as the Sacristan.

Stage Talk (Michael Hasted)

William Robert Allenby’s cameo as the Sacristan introduced some not irrelevant touches of humour in illustrating that superstition and hypocrisy which encouraged Cavaradossi and other republicans to see the church as a reactionary enemy.

Seen and Heard International (Glyn Pursglove)

Simone (Gianni Schicchi) 2015
Opera Holland Park
William Robert Allenby is a superb Simone.

MusicOMH (Sam Smith)

Sarah Pring, Aled Hall and William Robert Allenby shine brightly.... An absolutely wonderful evening.

The Telegraph (Rupert Christiansen)

... a bunch of very strong characters led by Sarah Pring's strong willed Zita..., and William Robert Allenby's Simone.

Planet Hugill (Robert Hugill)

It benefits from the return of William Robert Allenby as Simone.

What's on Stage (Mark Valencia)

She -sic(Sarah Pring ) was well-partnered by William Robert Allenby as the crusty old Simone.

Seen and Heard International (Claire Seymour)

Dr Dulcamara (Elixir of Love)
English National Opera/London Coliseum
Dramatically, William Robert Allenby stole the show, in a part he inherited from Andrew Shore.

Gertsamtkunstwerk

Dr Bartolo (Barber of Seville)
Welsh National Opera/Birmingham Hippodrome
William Robert Allenby was a wonderfully crotchety Dr Bartolo.

Express and Star (Simon Penfold)

Jacques Imbralio's.. scene with William Robert Allenby's fusspot Bartolo proves to be one of the highlights of the performance, spilling over with slapstick and silliness.

Birmingham Mail (Kat Keogh)

"... William Robert Allenby stepped into the breach as Dr Bartolo and produced some splendid comic touches as the scheming old doctor out to get his hands on Rosina, driven by the promise of loot rather than any thought of lust ... he did the part proud.

Behind the Arras (Roger Clarke)

On Thursday there was a late stand in for Doctor Bartolo, William Robert Allenby deftly picking up the reins of this pantaloon-like figure, joining the ranks of Christine Rice ... Andrew Kennedy ... Clive Bayley ... and Jacques Imbralio.

Birmingham Post (Christopher Morley)


Pish Tush (Mikado)
English National Opera/London Coliseum
The Mikado is very much an ensemble piece and fortunately ENO fielded a very strong team of singers who (essentially for G&S) also had a real flair for acting. ... In the role of Pish-Tush William Robert Allenby made a very strong impression with his expositional solo "Our great Mikado"; his warm baritone is full of tonal colours and he boasted clear diction and fine acting skills to boot.

Opera Britannia (Fiona Courtney)

The bill boards talk in terms of a stellar cast and they are not wrong. ... Pish Tush's quintessentially Ealing vicar is an inspired piece of characterisation sung with delicacy and refinement by William Robert Allenby. ... It is not in any way to denigrate the multitude of Mikados performed at many different levels (all with love and enthusiasm) to say that a flawlessly sung and acted version is not merely a wonderful experience but almost a new perspective on such a well known piece.

THE PUBLIC REVIEWS (Jeffrey Mayhew)

There is great visual wit from the vicar (William Robert Allenby) with his harlequined knee-socks.

Curtain Up (Lizzie Loveridge)

William [Robert] Allenby, another solid baritone, was a confident Pish-Tush; his eccentric costume (which included knee-high socks and a dog collar) matched by his highly charged and eclectic performance.

Music OMH (Lottie Greenhow)

There has surely never been a better all-round cast. Alfie Boe is a dashing Nanki-Poo, Donald Maxwell a suitably haughty Pooh-Bah, William Robert Allenby a rosey-cheeked Pish-Tush and Claudia Huckle a rich voiced Pitti-Sing.

WORLD PRESS DIGEST (Sam Smith)


Somarone (Beatrice and Benedict)
Welsh National Opera
Based on Shakespeares play Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedict is a gentle look at love. Add some beautiful music and a rich vein of comedy and you have a production which entertains from the start. First performed in 1994, this production provides tremendous opportunities for the leading members of the cast from some wonderful duets to the knockabout antics of conductor Somarone played by William Robert Allenby as he first tries to rehearse his amateur choir and then drinks too much wine.

South Wales Evening Post (Malcolm Reeves)


Walter Raleigh (Roberto Devereux)
Welsh National Opera
With excellent support from Geraint Dodd as Cecil and William Robert Allenby as Walter Raleigh, this was again an evening that quite rightly belonged to the singers and orchestra.

Wales OnLine (Mike Smith)

Count Monterone (Rigoletto)
Opera Holland Park
William Robert Allenby was a striking Monterone.

Opera Magazine (Martin Dreyer)

As Monterone, William Robert Allenby struck a dignified figure, his brooding, powerful bass-baritone suitably aggrieved.

Opera Today (Claire Seymour)

Monterone's entrance and curse were powerfully done. William Robert Allenby played and sang it for all it was worth.

Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews

The rest of the cast was of equal quality. William Robert Allenby cut a starkly sympathetic figure as Monterone.

Opera Britannia (John E. de Wald)

In the smaller roles Patricia Orr was a rich voiced Maddalena and Laura Woods an effectively duplicitous Giovanna. The principal courtiers made their presence felt. Graeme Broadbent's..assasin Sparafucile..[had] strong presence and vocalism. Best of all was William Robert Allenby's authoritative yet patrician Monterone.

Classical Source (Alexander Campbell)


Sacristan (Tosca)
St John Smith's Square, London
The duplicitous Sacristan was fully and sonorously sung by William Robert Allenby.

Classical Source (Peter Reed)

Simone (Gianni Schicchi)
Opera Holland Park
... a near faultless ensemble headed by the marvelous Zita of Carole Wilson and Simone of William Robert Allenby.

Opera Britannia (John E de Wild)

Alan Opie's Schicchi is vocally smooth... Jung Soo's tenor is vibrant and lively... Other notable performances come from William Robert Allenby's Simone and Carole Wilson's Zita.

Music OMH (Sam Smith)

Dr Wilhelm Reischmann (Elegy for Young Lovers - Henze)
English National Opera/Young Vic
Ms Shaw has the singers act so well you could almost think they were performing in a straight play. Mittenhofer's put upon doctor was the excellent William Robert Allenby.

New York Times (George Loomis)

ENO assembled a terrific cast. William Robert Allenby (Mittenhofer's personal physicain Wilhelm Reischmann) contributed a vivid cameo.

Opera Magazine (Hugh Canning)

William Robert Allenby acquitted himself well in the role of Mittenhoffer's physician, evoking some genuine humour in his early scenes with Lina.

Opera Britannia

Fiona Shaw gets some fine dramatic performances out of her singers. William Robert Allenby's doctor was a solid interpretation.

Classical Source (Alexander Campbell)

Steven Page's performance as the monstrous Mittenhoffer, is a tour de force, and William Robert Allenby and Lucy Schaufer as the doctor and secretary, are equally impressive.

The Guardian (Andrew Clements)

William Robert Allenby as Dr Reischmann, Robert Murray and Kate Valentine as the lovers - are uniformly excellent.

What's on Stage (Simon Thomas)

The rest of the cast are fully into their roles and give their all, be it Lucy Schaufer, Mitterhoffer's secretary, [and] William Robert Allenby as the unsettled physician.

Musical Opinion (Colin Anderson)

Stefan Blunier making his ENO debut does well to coordinate the score. His cast, including William Robert Allenby as Dr Reischmann, give convincing performances under Shaw's direction. Fiona Shaws realisation is a triumph.

Evening Standard (Barry Millington)

All singers - that is, baritone William Robert Allenby(Dr Reischmann), tenor Robert Murray (Toni Reischmann), soprano Kate Valentine (Elisabeth), mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer (Carolina) and soprano Jennifer Rhys-Davies (Hilda Mack) - perform admirably and it is to be hoped that they will have further opportunities to sing their roles in this rarely performed opera. This rare event is not to be missed.

Musical Criticism (Agnes Kory)


Dr Bartolo (Barber of Seville)
Iford Festival Opera 2009
William Robert Allenby brought the right sense of bumbling frustration to Bartolo...

Musical Criticism (Hugo Shirley)

William Robert Allenby, who played Bartolo in last year's Figaro, gives full reign not only to his voice but his acting talents in this production.

Fosse Way Magazine (GP-W)

Constable (Hugh the Drover)
New Sussex Opera, Cadogan Hall, London
Some of the comic highlights of the evening came in the form of a fantastic double-act between William Robert Allenby as the constable and Gareth John as the turnkey, with John's ringing tenor providing a fitting contrast to Allenby's solid baritone

Music OMH (Lottie Greenhow)

Vision of Lear (UK première)
Linbury Studio Theatre, ROH Covent Garden
... a terrific cast with ... William Allenby's biting Cornwall

Evening Standard (Tom Sutcliffe)

Stage Technician (The Makropulos Case)
English National Opera/London Coliseum
The uniform quality of the whole cast really stands out here, and they serve Alden's direction well.

Classical Source (Alexander Campbell)

The serving roles were characterised with musical and verbal aplomb by Morag Boyle, William Robert Allenby and Susanna Tudor-Thomas.

Music-Web International (Mark Berry)

The Messiah
Halifax Choral Society, Victoria Theatre, Halifax
Bass, William Robert Allenby, the voice of dire warnings and reminders of man's foolishness, harnessed dramatic emphasis to his natural musicality with ease.
This must rate as one of the best performances of Handel's Messiah the society has given.

Halifax Evening Courier 2008 (Julia Anderson)

baritones's gifted voice
William [Robert] Allenby's shrewdly planned recital, to do the best justice to his considerable gifts ... he has a baritone voice of fine quality throughout its compass and capable of giving the authentic thrill in the upper range.

... He was able to capture the right mood immediately, as in Ireland's 'See Fever' and Quilter's 'Go, lovely rose'. Particularly impressive were his accounts of the very demanding lied, notably Schubert's 'Ihr Bild' and Richard Strauss' 'Traum durch die Dämmerung', where his diction, true feeling for and moulding of long phrases, and climaxes in proportion to the moods, were excellent.

Peter Jaekel (piano) was his assured and musicianly partner.

Hull Daily Mail (Douglas Bowen)

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