The Pirates of Penzance, Opera Holland Park
Opera Magazine
'As Mabel, Daisy Brown was fearless in all her coloratura and the pastiches of Handel, Donizetti and Verdi. With a marvelous puncturing of feminine mystique, her attempt to entrance Frederic was a blissful send-up of Kundry's similar mission to Parsifal. Mabel's Poor Wandering One was a sparkler.'
Bach Track
'Kirk’s sweet-toned tenor met his match in Daisy Brown’s Mabel, and at one moment the soprano’s stupendous coloratura stopped the show in mid-flow... I’ve heard the ingénue lead sung this well only rarely'
Opera Wire
'Daisy Brown’s vivacious Mabel... impressed with glittering coloratura—strongly sung but funny to boot—and a gleaming sound that stood out in the ensembles.'
The Daily Mail
'There were some excellent performances... especially Daisy Brown as Mabel. Her fresh, accurate coloratura was a joy throughout.'
Planet Hugill
'The heroine, Mabel, makes her entrance with a coloratura waltz song in which Sullivan and Gilbert immediately send up popular 19th century operas (Gounod for instance). Daisy Brown was perfection at this moment, singing the coloratura with practised ease yet also with a knowing air, casually throwing off the roulades with a sparkle in her eye, and throughout the evening this Mabel charmed yet hinted at something more knowing.'
Opera Today
'Daisy Brown’s Mabel was as optimistic and self-assured as Brown’s soprano was bright and strong. She relished Sullivan’s Donizettian parody and the coloratura excesses of her entrance aria, ‘Poor wandering one’... The beloveds’ duet, ‘Ah, leave me not to pine’, was lovely, a touching moment of genuine depth of feeling and a fleeting step into a credible world.'
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Nevill Holt Opera
Opera Magazine
'Peter Kirk (Lysander) and Daisy Brown (Tytania) stood out as technically exceptional and physically commanding. The voice of each was so pure it seemed to cleanse the air it travelled through.'
'Morrissey was at pains to highlight Oberon's triumph in snatching the changeling boy from Tytania, and Brown's beautifully acted despair on realising this was heartbreaking.'
The Telegraph
'As his peevish wife Titania, Daisy Brown skittered with sparkling grace through the glittering coloratura – and somehow, yes, you could still hear her words even when she sailed into the topmost register.'
Backtrack
'The cast... led by Daisy Brown’s impressive Tytania, with just a hint of diamond hardness at the vertiginous top of her range.'
The Arts Desk
'Daisy Brown’s soprano glistens and sparkles in Tytania’s star-scattered music.'
Town and county magazine
‘Impressive were American bass-baritone Lawson Anderson as Bottom... and Daisy Brown’s silvery-toned Tytania.’
The Turn of the Screw, Bury Court Opera
Yehuda Shapiro, The Stage
Daisy Brown’s lyrically voiced Miss Jessel is no zombie, but a sensual young woman who, as Flora shows us with her dolls, happens to have met a watery grave.’
Mark Valencia, Backtrack
'I’ve rarely heard a better matched pair of ghosts than Daisy Brown (Miss Jessel) and Andrew Dickinson (Quint). Brown, becoiffed like Helena Bonham Carter in one of her gothic roles, sang her underwritten role with shuddering conviction.’
Owen Davies, Plays to See
'Andrew Dickinson as Quint and Daisy Brown as Jessel are spell-binding ghosts – they sound both real and other-worldly by turns and the way they appear and vanish is genuinely unsettling… there is a sensuality to Brown’s portrayal of Miss Jessel that is brave and very disturbing.'
Sam Smith, Music OMH
‘Brown is completely compelling as Miss Jessel.’
The Abduction from the Seraglio, The Grange Festival
Peter Reed, Opera Magazine
‘As her servant Blonde, inventively avoiding Osmin’s boo-hiss lechery, Daisy Brown managed both to send up and to support her mistress. Her light, lyrical singing simmered with Susanna-like mischief’
Classical Source
‘Daisy Brown pitches her Susanna-like Blonde both to support and subtly send up her mistress, her singing infused with a light, attractive lyricism, and she effortlessly is in charge of the men in her life, suitor Pedrillo and the predatory Osmin.’
Mark Pullinger, Bach Track
‘Daisy Brown was a pretty-voiced Blonde, with crystal clear top notes.’
Mark Berry, Opera Today
‘‘Kiandra Howarth sang as fine a Konstanze as I have heard, Christine Schäfer included, coloratura clear and meaningful, line finely spun... Daisy Brown’s spirited Blonde offered virtues similar yet far from identical; there was no difficulty in distinguishing the two soprano roles, style and delivery complementary yet distinctive.’
Planet Hugil
‘As Blonde, Daisy Brown made a wonderful contrast with Kiandra Howarth's Konstanze. Pert, lively and characterful, Brown sang with pin-sharp accuracy and really charmed, as well as giving as good as she got in her scene with Jonathan Lemalu's Osmin.’
Bernard Hughes, The Arts Desk
‘All the five principals sang very well...There was perhaps more light and shade in Daisy Brown’s singing as Blonde‚ and the Blonde-Pedrillo relationship was more convincingly romantic than Konstanze-Belmonte… The four lovers achieved energetic counterpoint in their quarrel and a lovely vocal blend in their reconciliation.'
Mark Ronan
'Daisy Brown (is) an absolute delight as her servant Blonde'
The Snow Maiden‚ Opera North
Martin Dreyer, The York Press
‘Daisy Brown stepped gallantly into the title role at short notice and won many admirers‚ besides Mizgir. Her light soprano suits the early coloratura‚ and her dying aria is poignant‚ overcoming the wearing of a yellow tabard more apt for coffee-grinding.’
Sister‚ Born Mad
Carn’s Theatre Passion
‘Brown‚ Coleman and Groves perform a tour de force of a performance‚ apparently effortlessly synching sound‚ loops‚ samples and live vocals‚ their proficiency speaking of many weeks of rehearsal and development.’
London City Nights
‘…taking the form of an hour long sound collage led by two fantastic performers‚ Daisy Brown and Nia Coleman…Brown and Coleman sing and act in perfect synchronisation‚ every micro-expression and verbal tic replicated exactly. It’s like watching a high-wire act – the slightest wobble and the whole thing falls apart. But the duo never put a foot wrong‚ displaying a faintly unnerving confidence in each other’s abilities and their own I shudder to think how long it must have taken to rehearse a thing like this‚ not to mention the sheer commitment and concentration required to sustain perfection for an hour…This is an experience like little else I’ve seen in theatres of late. It’s sonically‚ visually and textually beautiful; able to make you laugh and feel in equal measure; and Daisy Brown and Nia Coleman’s performance skills are through the goddamn roof. ‘
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Opera Holland Park, Linbury ROH
Edward Bhesania, The Stage
‘There is not a weak link in the cast, in terms either of singing or acting… Samantha Price’s and Daisy Brown’s Tweedledee and Tweedledum, show an impressive skill in physical comedy.’
Carmen Nevill Holt Opera
Neil Fisher, The Times
‘ The small orchestra sound fine under Charmers’s tidy baton and the supporting cast is decent‚ with Daisy Brown’s Frasquita making the strongest impression from the ensemble’
Le Nozze di Figaro Opera Vera
Robert Thicknesse, Opera Now
‘Daisy Brown was a brilliant Susanna, a bag of sly wit and intelligence’
Fringe Opera
‘…soprano Daisy Brown sweeps onto stage as the maid Susanna and proceeds to thread a piece of cotton straight through the eye of a needle – no mean feat for the steadiest of hands‚ let alone someone embarking on the lead role of a challenging‚ three-hour opera. Her composure sets the tone for this supremely accomplished performance… Daisy Brown is a no-nonsense Susanna‚ confident and coquettish with a warm twinkle in her eye and vocally au fait with Mozart’s pacy Italianate melodies. The chemistry between her and the equally-talented Peter Brooke’s Figaro is endearing’
Carmen Mid Wales Opera
Opera Magazine
‘Sherman’s blonde Carmen… was well supported by Daisy Brown’s vibrant Frasquita, acting with her eyes as well as her voice’
Mark Smith, WalesOnline.co.uk
‘Daisy Brown and Marta Fontanals-Simmons presented the roles of Frasquita and Mercedes in this interpretation perfectly’
Ron Simpson, What’s On Stage.com
‘…there is much to praise in this Carmen…Vocally Marta Fontanals-Simmons (Mercedes) and Daisy Brown (Frasquita) blend beautifully with Helen Sherman (Carmen)’
Stephen Walsh, The Arts Desk.com
‘The best things in it are intelligent touches in the directing of individual numbers: the card-reading trio (with Daisy Brown and Marta Fontanals-Simmons)’
Orfeo ed Euridice Buxton Festival
George Hall, The Guardian
‘Amore is entrancingly sung by soprano Daisy Brown’ George Hall
Philip Radcliffe, The Arts Desk
‘Rising star Daisy Brown is impressive as Amore’ Philip Radcliffe
Hugo Shirley, The Spectator
‘Amore is sung with real charm and ping by Daisy Brown’ Hugo Shirley
Mark Pullinger, Bach Track
‘Daisy Brown was a fabulous Amore – a sassy, sexy Cupid who emerges from the chorus as one of Orfeo’s groupies… Brown constantly impressed and she sang “Gli sguardi trattieni” with light, bright tone, whilst merrily scattering Eurydice’s ashes from the urn.’ Mark Pullinger
Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times
‘Daisy Brown… proved such a delight as Amore’ Hugh Canning,
Mark Ronan
‘Amore… was sung with striking beauty and lovely purity of tone by Daisy Brown’
Kiss Me, Figaro! The Merry Opera Company
The Lady
‘Brown is a revelation. Her Lascia Ch’io Pianga from Handel’s Rinaldo was delivered in her onstage dressing room with the utmost sincerity and exquisite precision.’ Helena Gumley-Mason
Bargain Theatre Land
‘The credit here goes to Brown who not only has the emotionally hard hitting vocal range but a true naturalism that is so hard to find in the world of opera, not only commanding the stage with her presence but driving you to both tears of joy and sorrow.’
Albert Herring (Britten) Mid Wales Opera
The Telegraph
‘this is a highlight of my Britten centenary trawl to date, warmly recommended if it’s coming your way.’ Rupert Christiansen
The Magic Flute (Mozart) The Merry Opera Company
The Times
‘Pamina/Constanze is outstandingly sung and acted by Daisy Brown — whom I long to hear again.’ Hilary Finch
New Statesman
‘It’s worth holding out for Daisy Brown’s Pamina who has the kind of winsome innocence (coupled with the best vocals of the evening) every fairytale princesss should have. Her “Ach, ich fühl’s” in particular is beautifully controlled and judged.’ Alexandra Coghlan
Timeout
‘Daisy Brown’s ravishingly sung Pamina stood out’
Forthwall Magazine
‘We are… granted legitimate access to the story during Daisy Brown’s breath-taking performance as both Mozart’s wife and Pamina. Alarmingly talented, Brown sings and acts with all the passion and conviction of a wide-eyed ingénue.’ Emily Hardy
Evening Standard
‘Daisy Brown’s Pamina is even better — enchantingly wide-eyed and game in the skits but with gravity and vocal chops to melt your heart come the second act.’ Kieron Quirke
Susanna (Handel) Iford Festival Opera
Opera Now
‘Daniel’s last minute paean to chastity was sung with great poise by Daisy Brown’ Stephen Walsh
The Guardian
‘The lovely bloom of Daisy Brown’s soprano rang out, adding a bright aura to Daniel’s appearances in what was inevitably a slightly sombre evening.’ Rian Evans
Venue Magazine
‘Daisy Brown’s Daniel was a neat bit of casting, the voice pure and youthfully bright, her stage presence quietly charismatic’ Paul Riley
The Stage
‘Daisy Brown brings presence and spark to Daniel’s appearances, leading the drama to a conclusion whose inevitable element of moral unease Furtado handles with sensitivity and intelligence.’
Stabat Mater (Pergolesi) Albion Baroque Orchestra
British Society for Eighteenth Century Studies
‘Brown’s intensity and depth, paired with the more delicate timbre of Wayne-Wright’s countertenor register painted a comprehensive account of devotional sincerity… Emphatic vocal delivery and facial expressions possessed superb and moving credibility.’
Semele (Handel) Hampstead Garden Opera
Bach Track
‘Soprano Daisy Brown as “the go-between” Iris was utterly charming in “She resides in Sweet Retreat”' Hilary Fisher