George Hall [The Guardian, 25 February 2006]
Given the intimacy of its outer acts, Puccini’s tale of love and death among impoverished artists ought not to work in such a vast space as the Albert Hall. But much of Francesca Zambello’s in-the-round arena production does succeed, with the spareness of Peter J Davison’s freezing garret brilliantly lit by Andrew Bridge and the irresponsible laddishness of the four flatmates is nicely suggested.