Reviews

As Abdallo in "NABUCCO", Opera Holland Park
As Abdallo in “NABUCCO”, Opera Holland Park

SELECTED REVIEWS:

“… a cracking bunch of actor-singers who double-up multiple parts: Paul Featherstone was our fave as Rev Lupin – a Uriah Heep / Mr Collins-like sleazeball (getting the audience “URGH-ing” out loud!)”
BRISTOL247.COM (Sweeney Todd 2024)

“Paul Featherstone literally steals the show as a Uriah Heep-like Reverend Lupin, the stalwart Colonel Jefferies and madhouse owner Jonas Fogg.”
WILTSHIRE TIMES (Sweeney Todd 2024)

“… but it is Paul Featherstone as creepy, oleaginous Reverend Lupin with an eye for the ladies who is the comic star.”
WESTERN DAILY PRESS (Sweeney Todd 2024)

“Paul Featherstone’s mean-minded, would-be amorous Reverend Lupin raised the comedy level by several decibels and opened the door for the audience to be part of the action.”
BRISTOL POST (Sweeney Todd 2024)

“The real stand-out performance of the evening came in the form of Paul Featherstone as Sir Joseph Porter KCB… The dance scene in the second half, alongside Matthew Siveter as Captain Corcoran, choreographed by Jenny Arnold, was executed to perfection, with Featherstone’s performance demonstrating a perfect blend of physical comedy and theatrical finesse.
His undeniable talent for comedy made for an unforgettable experience and he literally stole the show, with his charismatic and comedic portrayal adding a layer of brilliance to the production.”

THE WILTSHIRE TIMES (HMS Pinafore 2024)

“Having already shown that he had the diction to handle Gilbert’s clever patter song, “When I Was A Lad”, Paul Featherstone’s Sir Joseph Porter added some fine physical humour as with Matthew Siveter’s elegantly, strongly sung Captain Corcoran and Georgina Stalbow’s delicate portrait of his daughter, Josephine, they scored the hit of the evening with “Never Mind The Why Or Wherefore”
BRISTOL POST (HMS Pinafore 2024)

“The multi-parted cast create some gloriously grotesque characters, particularly … Paul Featherstone as a loathsome, lecherous preacher…”
THE TIMES (Sweeney Todd 2023)

“Stealing the show is another baddie, Paul Featherstone’s Reverend Lupin, who is truly revolting – making your skin crawl while getting a laugh makes for an exceptional performance.”
ONCEAWEEKTHEATRE.COM (Sweeney Todd 2023)

“Paul Featherstone gives him (Lupin) a creepy, oily loathsomeness that makes him more dislikeable than the title villain. He crawls and grovels in ways that look lascivious and sweaty and a duet between him and Cecily is one of the comic highlights…”
REVIEWSHUB.COM (Sweeney Todd 2023)

“Malicorne is played with complete operetta expertise by Paul Featherstone who also provided a new book and lyrics which were very much in the spirit of the Offenbachian genre.”
OPERA (Belle Lurette 2022)

“Paul Featherstone’s new English version captures the absurdity and mild salaciousness of the Offenbachian genre. An operetta performer to his fingertips, he also takes the chief comic role of the Duke’s servant, Malicorne, proving expert at playing the fool.”
THE STAGE (Belle Lurette 2022)

“Paul Featherstone’s Malicorne was the prime comic part, complete with a patter song about statistics! Featherstone was a complete exemplar, making the text really count and always musical.”
PLANET HUGILL (Belle Lurette 2022)

“All three of the cast, Tim Walton, Paul Featherstone and Carl Sanderson have strong singing voices and had no difficulty in coping with the ranges of the parts. They are also fine actors with good stage presence and comic timing. They extracted an unheard of number of laughs from the Cox and Box dialogue.”
GILBERT & SULLIVAN NEWS (Cox & Box 2021)

“Paul Featherstone sang with considerable point”
OPERA (Belle Hélene 2019)

“Of the cast, all were superb comic actors as well as singers… providing high comedy was Paul Featherstone as the continually cuckolded geriatric Menelaus, somehow able to produce successively deeper shades of enraged incredulity to the very end.”
JACQUES OFFENBACH SOCIETY REVIEW (Belle Hélene 2019)

“Most successful at creating the necessary Offenbach style was Paul Featherstone as both an aged Mercury using a Zimmer Frame with great agility, and John Styx. He proved to be a genuine ‘singing actor’ lifting the production every time he appeared and giving it real energy and pace whenever he was on stage. His Act 3 song was an exemplar of good diction and singing ‘off the words’, as my teacher tried to drill into me!”
OPERETTA-RESEARCH-CENTER.ORG (Orpheus In The Underworld 2019)

“Carl Sanderson’s Field Marshall and Paul Featherstone’s Duke were once again a superb double-act: their performances were full of vitality. Featherstone minced with ludicrous pomposity, resplendent in red velvet knickerbockers and diamond-patterned stockings. This was Alice in Wonderland meets Oscar Wilde: the Knave of Hearts had somehow found himself in The Importance of Being Earnest.”
OPERA TODAY (Tales of Offenbach 2016)

“Paul Featherstone, meanwhile, having gurned and shambled about as Rattlebone in Croquefer, sashayed on as Duke Cacatois in The Isle like Austin Powers channelling Sir Roy Strong: velvet suit, ruffled shirt, Noel Coward-ish tenor and an ability to maintain an unflappable languor even while his big number was repeatedly interrupted by honking great duck quacks from the orchestra. That got a lot of laughs…”
THE SPECTATOR (Tales of Offenbach 2016)

“Great performances from the leads, especially Paul Featherstone as Njegus – hilarious!!”
NODA (The Merry Widow 2015)

Paul Featherstone is more sophisticated, here is a consummate actor who sings like an angel and moves like a dancer.”
REMOTEGOAT.COM (Ballo 2013)

The production and performance are tremendous, as intense and compelling as any account of this piece that I have seen. That is largely thanks to Dominic Barrand as Tonio and Paul Featherstone as Canio. These two are singing actors of extraordinary calibre.”
THE SPECTATOR (Pagliacci 2011)

“Joseph Shovelton & Paul Featherstone light up the stage with their sheer charisma”
THE INDEPENDENT (Street Scene 2011)

“Paul Featherstone made an excellent impression in his Act IV solo ‘Ah, la paterna mano’.”
EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS (Macbeth 2010)

Paul Featherstone was a superbly kvetching Abraham, his tirades against “the scandals in the capitalist press” in complete contrast to his rather louche Steve Sankey.”
SEEN AND HEARD MUSIC THEATRE REVIEW (Street Scene 2008)

La Boheme was an excellent production. I have been watching this opera for 45 years and this was as good as it gets. How well Paula Sides and Paul Featherstone as Mimi and Rodolfo have grown into these roles”
THE INDEPENDENT (La Boheme 2007)

“Director John Fulljames emphasises sharply delineated characters: particularly Kovalyov’s hunched, tramp-like servant Ivan, brilliantly played and sung by Paul Featherstone”
THE STAGE (The Nose 2006)

I thought Paul Featherstone was outstanding in the title role…beautifully sung and portrayed.”
THE EVENING TELEGRAPH (Ernani 2006)

Michele was the tenor Paul Featherstone. His voice had plenty of edge and range…he was a very convincing presence, a violent, murderous, passionate figure.”
OPERA (The Saint of Bleecker Street 2006)

Paul Featherstone as Hoffmann and Gibson’s Nicklausse were the admirable mainstays of this production”
OPERA (Tales of Hoffmann 2005)

Paramount to any opera is the necessity to have a strong tenor. Paul Featherstone fitted the bill perfectly, and gave an outstanding performance. There was enviable ease to both his acting and singing and his portrayal of Gustavus could not be faulted.”
THE EVENING TELEGRAPH (A Masked Ball 2004)

“Eric the mild-mannered accountant (the excellent Paul Featherstone) transforms himself into a baby catching superhero…acting with muscle-clenching physicality while singing Coker’s jerkily rhythmic score.”
THE TIMES (Walking Not Driving 2004)

  “Martin the nihilistic street sweeper from hell played brilliantly by Paul Featherstone.”
VIRTUAL BRIGHTON MAGAZINE (Candide 2003)

Paul Featherstone thrilling as the Governor”
DAILY MAIL (Candide 2003)

Featherstone in particular gives a delightfully suave and elegant performance as the befuddled hero, while showing plenty of ringing tenor tone when needed”
EVENING TELEGRAPH (Die Fledermaus 2003)

His rendition of the famous “Nessun dorma“ aria was out of the top drawer.”
EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS (Turandot 2003)

Tenor & Actor