Dragon Review: Glorious! – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Published on: 6 May, 2026
Updated on: 6 May, 2026

Florence (Wendy Peters) and Cosmé’s (Matthew James Morrison) trust in each other grows. Chris Davis

By Ferenc Hepp

The “world’s worst opera singer” is is a sobriquet unlikely to be sought, but this was the unfortunate description given to the amateur soprano, Florence Foster Jenkins.

Her career is humorously celebrated this week at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre as part of the 20th anniversary tour of Glorious! written by Peter Quilter and directed by Kirk Jameson.

Carnegie Hall was sold out, but there are still tickets left for Guildford, and I would urge you to snap one up before the end of this week if you can.”

We are in New York in the 1940s. The setting is a very feminine looking hotel apartment, where Florence resides and first meets Cosmé McMoon who is to become her piano player, with a unique bond building between the two in a very short period of time.

Matthew James Morrison as Cosmé is gentle, thoughtful, polite, understated and caring. A complete contrast to Wendi Peters as Florence. She is flamboyant, eccentric, loud, direct and confident.

As a result, occasionally it is somewhat difficult to hear Morrison’s dialogue, but this just accentuates the difference between the two main characters. We all eagerly anticipate hearing her sing for the first time, and we don’t have to wait for long.

The reaction from Morrison is complete horror, but the style is hilarious and Peters’s facial expressions are priceless.

As Florence, an American version of Hyacinth Bucket (or Bouquet!), famously portrayed by Patricia Routledge in Keeping Up Appearances, immediately springs to mind. Even the out of tune singing links both characters together.

Outwardly, they are both frustratingly annoying, but at the same time there is a vulnerability that comes through perfectly in Peters’s characterisation.

Numerous classic lines prove how Florence thinks of herself and her unique talent: “I am blessed with excessive volume… When my voice gets going, an earthquake wouldn’t stop it.”

An Italian maid who doesn’t speak English (Caroline Gruber), together with Florence and Cosmé, who don’t speak Italian, provides even more hilarity, although of course Florence believes: “I’m sure she is Italian just to annoy me!”

Cosmé becomes increasingly loyal to the singer, and we are ‘treated’ to a very special version of Adele’s Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus, where it is clear that Peters is actually a very accomplished singer, therefore to perform arias consistently and deliberately out of tune, is a special skill which must have taken a lot of hard work and practice.

Florence gets an invited audience on her side. Chris Davis

After the interval we are in full performance mode, with Florence giving a recital to an invited audience of ladies only, who were all interviewed to get a ticket, and this leads to the big finale, which is a solo concert in a sold-out Carnegie Hall.

Florence as the Angel of Inspiration. Chris Davis

Nobody is more surprised to get this gig than Florence herself. Outwardly she steps out in an outrageous “Angel of Inspiration” costume, but inwardly we really see her insecurity at this stage, and how grateful she is for Cosmé’s loyalty.

Their relationship is wonderfully touching until the very end, and he sums this up perfectly at this very special occasion: “Nothing I have ever done has been as glorious as playing for you!”

Laughter turns to sympathy and admiration, but the humour never falters. Despite the obvious lack of operatic talent, we are completely behind Florence and can’t help but smile and admire the special relationship between her and Cosmé.

Carnegie Hall was sold out, but there are still tickets left for Guildford, and I would urge you to snap one up before the end of this week if you can.