Eugene Onegin

After her brilliant performance at Garsington last year, Orla Boylan's successful London debut comes as no surprise. Her powerful vocal resources are impressively schooled to express emotion ranging from intense passion to muted pathos in distinct and rounded tone, and her study of Tatyana in English National Opera's production of Eugene Onegin is penetrating and moving.

The moody, romantic girl of Pushkin and Tchaikovsky's imagining evokes immediate compassion and understanding (except from Onegin, of course), but it is as the mature Princess Gremin that her stature is most memorable. Her presence is wholly dignified as she reminds Onegin of his patronising treatment years before with finely judged, soft singing - made all the more telling by his unbridled aspect as he rushes into her apartment, shirt open to the waist and vocal timbre now close to ranting. Earlier, however, Anthony Michaels-Moore gave a smooth and strong performance in his guise as the egregious sophisticate from Moscow.

The casting of this traditional and thoroughly serviceable production by Julia Hollander is designed to focus maximum attention on Tatyana, starting with Christine Rice's lively Olga - already casting flirtatious glances towards Onegin in the opening scene. John Mark Ainsley's Lensky, essentially as romantic as any teenage girl, is a pale figure compared to the vibrant personality of Tatyana, and the contrasts are further underlined by Catherine Savory's sensible Madame Larina, Catherine Wyn-Rogers's Filippyevna and Peter Rose's sterling Gremin. Sian Edwards conducts.

Runs until June 16th. To book: 0044-020-76328300