"The star of the evening was Ellie Laugharne as Asteria: dignified and expressive, singing with an aching purity that was matched by acting of unaffected sincerity. She’s compelling, without ever being insistent: one of those singers who don’t make the big headlines, but are unfailingly excellent in everything they touch."

" a natural for comic timing, a genuinely magnetic stage presence and a creamy and nimble voice."

"She also gave meaning to the words and inhabited the stage like a natural: a joy to behold."

" a honeyed, warm-spirited and riveting performance."

"Looking like one of those willowy English roses...she combines beauty of sound with nerve-shredding vulnerability."

"At the heart of the drama stood Ellie Laugharne’s Governess. Her helplessness and her goodness – not saccharine, but human – came across powerfully indeed, torn as she was between incompatible, maybe impossible, paths to take… certainly one of the finest performances I have witnessed at Opera Holland Park."

"If I were booking talent, I'd make a beeline for Ellie Laugharne's dressing room armed with a contract: her Susanna was sung with imagination, charm and real individuality."