Reviews:
Flute/Thisby, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Grange Festival 2021
‘and special mention must go to Ben Johnson for his adorable Flute / Thisbe – if you had not known that he was a very fine Don Ottavio in Glyndebourne’s Don Giovanni a few years ago, you would not have believed him to be the same person.’ - Melanie Eskanazi, Music OMH
‘only after the interval did [the] audience gradually show any audible appreciation, owing much to Ben Johnson’s comic turn as Flute when playing Thisbe.’ David Truslove, Opera Today
‘Scene-stealer is Ben Johnson’s resourcefully reactive Flute as Thisbe, as fits how Britten wrote the role (for partner Peter Pears to give a wicked impersonation of Joan Sutherland as Lucia)’ - David Nice, The Arts Desk
Eumete, The Return of Ulysses, Longborough Festival Opera, 2021
‘Ben Johnson makes more than usual of Ulisse’s loyal friend Eumente, his tenor lending weight to the shepherd’s philosophising’ - John Allison, The Telegraph
‘With Tom Randle — ENO’s 2011 Ulisse at The Young Vic — heading the cast, and a couple of other ENO artists, Ben Johnson (Eumete) and Nelson in the cast...neither does it suffer from the “choral scholar” blandness of some specialist performances’ Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times
‘Ben Johnson’s Eumete is impressive’ - Rian Evans, The Guardian
Flute/Thisby, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Grange Festival 2021
‘and special mention must go to Ben Johnson for his adorable Flute / Thisbe – if you had not known that he was a very fine Don Ottavio in Glyndebourne’s Don Giovanni a few years ago, you would not have believed him to be the same person.’ - Melanie Eskanazi, Music OMH
‘only after the interval did [the] audience gradually show any audible appreciation, owing much to Ben Johnson’s comic turn as Flute when playing Thisbe.’ David Truslove, Opera Today
‘Scene-stealer is Ben Johnson’s resourcefully reactive Flute as Thisbe, as fits how Britten wrote the role (for partner Peter Pears to give a wicked impersonation of Joan Sutherland as Lucia)’ - David Nice, The Arts Desk
Eumete, The Return of Ulysses, Longborough Festival Opera, 2021
‘Ben Johnson makes more than usual of Ulisse’s loyal friend Eumente, his tenor lending weight to the shepherd’s philosophising’ - John Allison, The Telegraph
‘With Tom Randle — ENO’s 2011 Ulisse at The Young Vic — heading the cast, and a couple of other ENO artists, Ben Johnson (Eumete) and Nelson in the cast...neither does it suffer from the “choral scholar” blandness of some specialist performances’ Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times
‘Ben Johnson’s Eumete is impressive’ - Rian Evans, The Guardian