When I go to an opera, it’s usually the lead singers I feel bring the most memorable performance. This past Friday night however, I was impressed with every facet of Heroic Opera and Game of Tones Collective’s production of Verdi’s Macbeth. It started with the three witches, Libby Donald, Julia Rooney and Moriah Wax, who all had rich colourful voices. The three of them were so immersed in their character and their choreography that they set a very high standard of performance for the evening. I was intrigued that they had three “shadows” who mimicked their movements - an well-executed idea well that foreshadowed the creative stage direction by Jeanine Fynn for the rest of the evening.

Cameron Killick endeared the audience with his performance of Banquo with his welcoming strong baritone voice. Another staging highlight for me was Banquo’s ghost. Not only was Cameron’s performance haunting, his sudden appearance at the dinner table was like magic, and his sudden disappearance was very clever.

In fact, there was definitely a full house of talent with regards to male voices. Kevin Armstrong’s performance of Macduff was riveting, as was his choreography of the fight scene between himself and Macbeth.

Andrew Greenwood’s portrayal of Macbeth was striking and powerful. His performance made me enjoy how much I disliked him. The thirst for power was so evident yet as he grew more anxiety ridden and remorseful, I could see the tenderness develop in his voice and character.

Alongside him, Melissa Ratcliff’s performance of Lady Macbeth was truly dynamic. From her passion towards Macbeth, to her gut-wrenching sleepwalking scene, Melissa’s acting and musicality were absolutely brilliant.

The music throughout was also brilliant. Perri Lo did a masterful job as the music director, especially with the ensemble scenes. Congratulations to everyone involved. Macbeth was a highly memorable top-notch production overflowing with talent and polish.