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A Descent into Darkness: ENO’s The Turn of the Screw Grips and Spooks

Ailish Tynan, Eleanor Dennis, Victoria Nekhaenko, Jerry Louth, ENO’s The Turn of the Screw 2024 © Manuel Harlan
Ailish Tynan, Eleanor Dennis, Victoria Nekhaenko, Jerry Louth, ENO’s The Turn of the Screw 2024 © Manuel Harlan

The English National Opera’s The Turn of the Screw, is an atmospheric and chilling rendition of Benjamin Britten’s psychological thriller. This production, newly interpreted and staged by Isabella Bywater for the 2024/2025 season delivers a gripping exploration of innocence, repression, and the supernatural, while allowing the opera’s themes of ambiguity and fear to unfold with a slow-burning intensity.

Britten’s haunting score, conducted by Duncan Ward, is brought to life with precision and clarity. The orchestra masterfully balances the eerie, sparse instrumentation with lush, romantic undercurrents, reflecting the growing tension and unease in the narrative. Ward’s pacing is deliberate, allowing the unease to creep through every bar without losing the momentum of the story’s chilling trajectory.

The unnamed governess in a frumpy pink frock and fluffy slippers is incarcerated in a 1960’s mental asylum and is recalling her experiences of 30 years previously when she took charge of two very disturbed orphaned children at a gothic mansion. Were the children sexually abused, were they haunted by ghosts or has the governess herself “lost the plot”? You, the audience, are left to decide.

The set design plays a pivotal role in establishing the opera’s unsettling mood. It has all the magical Bywater elements of walls which stretch and contract emphasising the lack of certainty and make the audience feel that they too are descending into madness. The imposing, structure of Bly House with its extensive parkland is projected onto the stage, creating a claustrophobic, haunted atmosphere. Its towering, flickering and shadowy presence mirrors the psychological landscape of the characters, particularly the Governess, whose gradual unravelling is visually underscored by the play of light and shadow. Bywater’s minimalist yet evocative design, complemented by Paul Anderson’s haunting lighting, and Jon Driscoll’s video projections lend a Hitchcockian quality to the production.

If you are new to opera you may enjoy our blog post on opera tips.

At the heart of the opera is a stellar performance by Ailish Tynan as the Governess. Tynan’s portrayal is a masterclass in vocal control and emotional depth. She captures the character’s initial innocence and idealism, but as the events at Bly House spiral into the inexplicable, her performance becomes increasingly unhinged, reflecting the fragility of the Governess’ mental state. Tynan’s voice is clear and lyrical, yet it carries a distinctly strained edge as she sings in the upper range of her register which perfectly suits the opera’s dark undertones.

Victoria Nekhaenko, ENO’s The Turn of the Screw 2024 © Manuel Harlan.
Victoria Nekhaenko, ENO’s The Turn of the Screw 2024 © Manuel Harlan.

Countering her is the ghostly figure of Peter Quint, sung by tenor Robert Murray. Murray’s Quint is both seductive and menacing, embodying the ambiguity of evil that Britten so masterfully weaves into the score. His duets with the Governess, particularly in the second act, bristle with tension, their voices intertwining in a way that blurs the line between reality and the supernatural.

The two child singers, who perform as Miles and Flora, deserve special mention. Miles, portrayed by Nicolai Flutter, impresses with his clear, angelic voice and unsettling maturity. The innocence of his character is constantly questioned, and Flutter navigates this duality with a subtlety that belies his age. Holly Hyton’s Flora is equally commendable, her bright tone lending an ethereal quality to the child’s increasingly disturbing behaviour as the pair dress as a nun and priest, chant gobbledegook in their lessons and play with dolls.

However, the opera’s true strength lies in its psychological complexity and ambiguity. Bywater’s direction highlights the thin line between the supernatural and psychological breakdown, refusing to give easy answers about whether the ghosts are real or manifestations of the Governess’ disturbed mind. This ambiguity is heightened by the tension between the lush, melodic passages and the dissonant, jarring moments in Britten’s score.

In this production, the tension is palpable, the atmosphere oppressive, and the performances nuanced. It’s an opera that lingers long after the final notes have faded, as unsettling and unresolved as the narrative itself. The Turn of the Screw at the ENO is a compelling and thought-provoking experience, a masterful blending of music, drama, and atmosphere that will leave audiences questioning the nature of innocence, evil, and the fine line between the two.

The ENO’s Turn of the Screw opens on Friday 11 October for 7 performances Oct 11, 16, 23, 29,31 at 19.00. Oct 13 at 14.30. Oct 26 at 18.00.

Opera tickets for ENO Turn of the Screw can be purchased here.

Under 21s can get free opera tickets to all ENO performances at every level of the theatre, and 21-35 year olds can get discounted opera tickets. Tickets for everyone begin at £10.

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Review: A Haunting Triumph: ENO’s Suor Angelica Delivers Raw Emotion and Stark Beauty

Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, ENO’s Suor Angelica 2024 © Genevieve Girling (2)
Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, ENO’s Suor Angelica 2024 © Genevieve Girling (2).jpg
Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, ENO’s Suor Angelica 2024 © Genevieve Girling (2).jpg

The English National Opera’s latest production of Suor Angelica, staged at the London Coliseum, is an evocative and emotionally charged portrayal of Puccini’s short but powerful opera. Directed by the ever-innovative Annilese Miskimmon, this staging of the 1918 work delves deeply into themes of religious barbarism, repentance, maternal love, and redemption, with a striking simplicity that enhances the intensity of the narrative.

Yannis Thavoris’s minimalist approach to the set design works in the production’s favour, stripping away distractions and placing the emotional core of the story at the forefront. Set in one of the controversial Magdalene Laundries, bedecked with drying sheets and primitive washing implements, he portrays an austere realism in an abstract manner using clean lines and muted tones. This choice underscores the emotional prison of Suor Angelica, allowing her internal anguish to take centre stage, as the audience is forced to focus on her emotional journey rather than on external details.

The Cast of ENO’s Suor Angelica 2024 © Genevieve Girling (4).jpg
The Cast of ENO’s Suor Angelica 2024 © Genevieve Girling (4).jpg

Sinead Campbell-Wallace’s performance as Suor Angelica is simply spellbinding. Campbell-Wallace’s rich, emotive soprano voice captures the torment and longing of the character with heartrending clarity. Her rendition of “Senza Mamma” was the evening’s high point, delivered with such raw vulnerability that it left the audience transfixed. The pain of a mother mourning the child she was forced to abandon was palpable, and Campbell-Wallace’s portrayal was both deeply human and transcendent.

The supporting cast was equally impressive. Christine Rice as the Princess brought an icy severity to her role, providing the perfect contrast to Suor Angelica’s warmth and desperation. Rice’s voice, smooth and commanding, mirrored her character’s cold indifference, creating a chilling scene in which the emotional cruelty of her visit is laid bare.

The orchestra, under the expert baton of Corinna Niemeyer, gave a nuanced and sensitive performance of Puccini’s score. The music swelled and receded with the emotional tides of the story, supporting the singers without overwhelming them. Niemeyer masterfully navigated the transitions between the stark convent scenes and the operatic tragedy, bringing out the pathos in Puccini’s lush orchestration.

If you are new to opera you may enjoy our blog post on opera tips.

The chorus of nuns provided a sombre backdrop, their voices weaving together to create an almost ethereal soundscape. Miskimmon’s direction ensures that each member of the chorus remains an integral part of the drama, contributing to the oppressive atmosphere that surrounds Suor Angelica. Their androgynous, make-up-less and braless presence feels omnipresent yet distant, reinforcing the isolation that defines the protagonist’s life in the convent.

While the production thrives on its emotional depth, there were moments where the starkness of the staging felt almost too bare. The absence of traditional visual cues—such as the grandeur of the church or the convent garden—may not resonate with all audiences, particularly those more familiar with traditional interpretations of Puccini’s works. Nevertheless, this approach allows for a greater focus on the psychological aspects of the story, a trade-off that ultimately benefits the production. I also wondered how audience members would interpret the crawling child in the grand suicide finale – an apparition of a distraught, dying woman or a Romeo and Juliet moment when the child is found to be alive, as his mother dies?

In summary, ENO’s Suor Angelica is a moving exploration of grief, guilt, and spiritual salvation. Miskimmon’s vision, combined with Campbell-Wallace’s powerhouse performance and Niemeyer’ sensitive musical direction, make this production a compelling and unforgettable experience. While the stark staging may divide opinion, it undoubtedly draws attention to the emotional intensity of the opera, making it a triumph for the ENO.

Suor Angelica ran for 2 performances on Friday 27 September 2024.

Under 21s can get free opera tickets to all ENO performances at every level of the theatre, and 21-35 year olds can get discounted opera tickets. Tickets for everyone begin at £10.

#ENOSuorAngelica

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ENO La bohème Review– A Timeless Tale Finds New Resonance at the London Coliseum

 

Nadine Benjamin, Joshua Blue, ENO La boheme 2024 © Lloyd Winters.jpg
Nadine Benjamin, Joshua Blue, ENO La boheme 2024 © Lloyd Winters.jpg

 

The English National Opera’s revival of La bohème, which opens the season at the London Coliseum is a resounding success. Puccini’s timeless opera is reimagined in a production that feels both familiar and strikingly fresh. Director Jonathan Miller’s iconic 1930s Parisian setting remains intact, yet it’s the nuanced performances and the depth of the emotional landscape that truly stand out.

At the heart of La bohème lies the tragedy of love and loss, themes that are powerfully evoked by the production’s leads. Tenor Joshua Blue as Rodolfo and soprano Nadine Benjamin as Mimì delivered deeply affecting performances. Blue’s Rodolfo was imbued with passion and vulnerability, his voice scaling effortlessly from delicate lyricism to the robust crescendos of the opera’s climactic moments. Nadine Benjamin, meanwhile, offered a portrayal of Mimì that felt palpably real, less fragile than most heroines but a heart-breaking presence which infused every scene with emotional weight.

The chemistry between Blue and Benjamin felt modern and fresh and allowed for an exploration of their characters’ love story in a way that was both intimate and true to life. Their Act I duet, “O soave fanciulla,” was filled with tenderness that makes the inevitable tragedy all the more devastating.

Supporting performances were equally strong, with Charles Rice (Marcello) bringing a rich baritone and an almost irreverent energy to his scenes. Vuvu Mpofu as Musetta was a scene-stealer, her bright, soaring soprano and flirtatious stage presence perfectly capturing the essence of her character, particularly in her famous waltz, “Quando me’n vo’.” Mpofu cleverly balances comic acting and good-natured practicality. She is more of a girl-next-door than a strutting femme fatale waving her knickers. Alcindoro (Andrew Tinkler) is a delightful foil playing the aged lover with just the right measure of doting idiocy.

The acid test for Dingle Yandell (Colline) is whether he can sing the sad lament to his soon-to-be-sold overcoat (the proceeds of which he wants to pay for a doctor and medicine for the dying Mimi) with plausible and paced gravitas. This requires both masterful control by the conductor and a depth of feeling and sincerity on the part of the singer. The spontaneous audience applause indicated that Dingle Yandell got this just right.

Conductor, Clelia Cafiero, got off to an over enthusiastic start with the orchestra on occasion drowning out the singers in Act I. The conducting in successive acts became more measured, balancing the sweeping romanticism of Puccini’s score with a sensitivity that allowed the quieter, more introspective moments to shine. The orchestra’s performance was lush and vibrant, particularly in the interwoven string melodies that so poignantly underscored the final act’s heart-wrenching conclusion.

Isabella Bywater’s 1930s aesthetic lent the ENO La bohème production a sense of melancholy nostalgia, featuring cold, grey streets and a cramped, junk filled artist studio that underscored the bohemians’ poverty. The visual palette, muted but evocative, emphasized the themes of isolation and fleeting joy. This grounding in realism makes the more poetic moments, such as Rodolfo and Mimì’s burgeoning love, stand out in stark contrast to the gritty backdrop of their lives.

The Cast of ENO’s La boheme 2024 © Lloyd Winters (3).jpg
The Cast of ENO’s La boheme 2024 © Lloyd Winters (3).jpg

Puccini was oft reviled for producing cheap, sentimental operas with a mass market appeal. Yet no opera has become more politically, psychologically and socially relevant to our age than La bohème. My slight disappointment that the ENO commenced its 2024/2025 season with yet another revival of La bohème abated when I witnessed the manner in which Crispin Lord has masterfully updated the direction to make it an almost polemical modern social treatise. We could be in Hackney – young artists, philosophers, writers and painters using their native wit to survive in dingy rented accommodation while being exploited by unscrupulous landlords. Gone are the spartan bleak living conditions, starving waifs, endless references to “bonnets” and the implausible line dancing of previous productions. Our bohemians have flesh and guts.

If you are new to opera you may enjoy our blog post on visiting opera for the first time.

Crispin Lord and Clelia Cafiero have produced an opera with a cinematic pace and energy that speaks directly to the heart, reminding us why La bohème remains a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire.

The ENO’s  La bohème is a beautifully rendered production, and though it’s steeped in the pain of its tragic ending, it’s also a celebration of fleeting joy and the human capacity to love. This revival is a testament to the enduring power of Puccini’s masterpiece, brought to life with exceptional artistry at the London Coliseum.

La bohème opens on Thursday 26 September for 9 performances Sep 26, Oct 3,10,15,17 at 19.00. Oct 5, 12 at 18.00. Sep 28, Oct 19 at 14.30.

Opera tickets for ENO La bohème can be purchased here.

Under 21s can get free opera tickets to all ENO performances at every level of the theatre, and 21-35 year olds can get discounted opera tickets. Tickets for everyone begin at £10.

#ENOBoheme

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ENO La traviata – Minimal Staging Showcases Powerful Performances

ENO La traviata

ENO La traviata Review – 28 October 2023 by Maxine Morse

The ENO’s La traviata has the feel of a Parisian 1920’s nightclub, enveloped in blacks and reds, with a cast in tuxedos and bob haircuts. The pared down staging puts the focus firmly on stand-out vocals, intense dramatic sequences and beautifully controlled conducting.

We are invited on a two-hour rollercoaster, taking a stomach-churning lurch to the highs of Violetta’s parties, where her inebriated frenemies are willing her downfall.  Then there is a slow dip into her life in the country while she pursues true love before our carriage goes through a dark tunnel when she rejects her lover before we reach a slithering halt in her failing health and death.

If you are accustomed to the many fin de siècle productions of La Traviata, with their stately homes and tulle ballgowns, you may find Johannes Leiacker’s set a challenge. Almost devoid of props and scenery, layers of red velvet curtains are tugged, drawn and pulled to create the various scene changes.

Minimalist staging in ENO La Traviata © Belinda Jiao
Minimalist staging in ENO La Traviata © Belinda Jiao

The delicious period feel is largely down to the chorus direction with its joyful goading and clenching of wine glasses at the party to the casino where the chorus purposefully stride across the stage and toss playing cards – minimalist but immensely effective.

Exquisite Chorus Direction in ENO La Traviata at the London Coliseum © Belinda Jiao
Exquisite Chorus Direction in ENO La Traviata at the London Coliseum © Belinda Jiao

The revival director, Ruth Knight gets to the heart of Verdi’s preoccupation with realism in her characterisation of the principal part. Violetta is not the archetypical fallen woman but an embodiment of mystique, power and angst brought down by her relationships with inferior, impotent men and seen through the narrow prism of societal constraints.

Nicole Chevalier brings strength to the role of Violetta with her glorious tsunami of raw emotions. By her final aria Addio del passato (‘It’s over, all those memories full of laughter’) she has lost her wig and her soulful lament is one that will haunt the audience long after the opera is over.

The antithesis of Violetta is her lover, Alfredo Germont (Jose Simerilla Romero). This beige-cardiganed, socially-awkward bookworm conveys all the personality of damp cardboard. Romero rises perfectly to this challenge by first seducing us with his febrile veneration of love and then blasting us with forceful vocals as he blames Violetta for shaming him.

Completing this dark triad is Alfredo Germont’s father. Giorgio Germont performed by Roland Wood is convincing in his display of oily, bourgeois respectability as he coaxes and cajoles Violetta to leave his son in order to protect the family’s reputation.

Nicole Chevalier as Violetta in ENO La Traviata at the London Coliseum © Belinda Jiao
Nicole Chevalier as Violetta in ENO La Traviata at the London Coliseum © Belinda Jiao

In the final scene, the supporting performers enter from the rear of the stalls and approach the stage to look on Violetta’s demise as if from the audience perspective – each one exuding a powerful  and almost frozen  presence.

Verdi’s score sparkles under the baton of Richard Farnes from the energy of brindisi with its insistent rhythms to the slower and perfectly controlled movements of the final death scene.

Richard Barnes conductor sparkles in ENO la traviata © Belinda Jiao
Richard Barnes conductor sparkles in ENO la traviata © Belinda Jiao

The director’s decision to forego an interval has the effect of asking the audience to drink a triple shot of absinthe…performing La traviata without a pause adds not only to the psychological intensity but also to the audience’s physiological discomfort. And when it ended no one leapt for the doors; instead, thundering applause and foot stamping brought the house down.

 

Maxine Morse

Maxine trained as an opera critic on ENO Response the opera critics training scheme sponsored by the English National Opera and mentored by Critics’ Circle. She is currently taking live performance reviewing courses at the City Lit and Harvard University.

Please get in touch if you would like her to review opera for your publication.

UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON
La traviata at the English National Opera.
Nicole Chevalier as Violetta, Jose Simerilla Romero as Alfredo and Roland Wood as Giorgio Germont in the Peter Konwitschny production of Verdi’s La traviata continuing the 2023 to 2024 season of the English National Opera at the London Colosseum. The opening night for ENO’s La traviata is on the 23 October with performances up until the 12th November.

 

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ENO Iolanthe – Superb Spectacle, Slapstick, Satire and Staging

ENO Iolanthe 2023

ENO Iolanthe Review – 10 October 2023 by Maxine Morse

 

If ENO’s Iolanthe were a cake it would be a Unicorn cake with a deep buttercream icing and liberally covered with edible glitter and hundreds and thousands with a surprising layer of tongue tingling popping candy.

 

The director Cal McCrystal’s hallmarks are retro spectacle and masterly comic timing with splashes of whimsy and political satire. When combined with the unique talents of conductor Chris Hopkins, who takes a precision aim at delivering musical oomph, and Paul Brown, the Dior of costume and set design, the overall effect is nothing but a full-on sugar rush.

 

I am not a big fan of Gilbert and Sullivan’s prologues but Clive Mantle as Captain Shaw fluffed the audience with a good poking of fun at the opera going classes and a portent of fire-fighting silliness.

Clive Mantle, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller
Clive Mantle, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller

The late Paul Brown’s set resembles a 1950’s children’s book with its die cut wing and backdrops. The opera’s pièce de resistance is a life size steam locomotive which bursts through as if straight out of the comic golden age, unloading its cargo of crown and gown clad peers. Such was the stunning effect that I was sitting next to a world-weary television personality who broke the Coliseum’s strict ‘no photography’ rule and whipped his phone out to take a sneaky snap. Do not try this yourself!

Ruairi Bowen, Ben McAteer, ENO Chrous, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller
Ruairi Bowen, Ben McAteer, ENO Chrous, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller

Iolanthe has been banished from the fairy world for getting married to a mortal. Her son, a lowly Arcadian shepherd, falls in love with the equally vacuous, toile costumed Arcadian shepherdess, Phyllis. As ward of the chancery, she needs the permission of the Lord Chancellor to wed. Unfortunately, every dull, titled, money and status obsessed peer of the realm, including her guardian, is keen to wed her. Will she be allowed to marry her heart’s desire, or is she condemned to wed one of her less suited suitors? And what about those cute fairies who are besotted with those same dullards? Will they be allowed to live a life of wedded bliss or be condemned to death? We shall see…

Marcus Farnsworth, Ellie Laugharne, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller
Marcus Farnsworth, Ellie Laugharne, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller

 

Strephon (Marcus Farnsworth) the Arcadian shepherd has a touch of David Walliams about him, slightly obtuse and ditzy, a personality twin to the all-too-perfect Phyllis (Ellie Laugharne). Both carry the audience with their charming comical antics and deliberations.

John Savournin as the Lord Chancellor is a Gilbert and Sullivan stalwart. He excelled as Captain Corcoran in the ENO’s 2021/22 HMS Pinafore and is hot off the Opera Holland Park stage as Ruddigore’s Sir Despard Murgatroyd. Savournin, a confident performer with a conversational singing style, made a fast paced word salad of his tongue twisting Chancellor’s Nightmare.

John Savournin as the Lord Chancellor © Craig Fuller
John Savournin as the Lord Chancellor 2023 © Craig Fuller

 

Ruairi Bowen  as Earl Tolloller is a delight to watch as he delivers the crispest vocals of the night with masterly Victorian mannerisms.

Ruairi Bowen, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller
Ruairi Bowen, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller

The off libretto popping candy involved pooping horses, sheep ferried about by stage hands blinded by their camouflage and a shaggy-haired, partying Boris accompanied by a permanently surprised and gormless Michael Gove. A pot shot is taken at Nadine Dorries, who is responsible for the ENO’s current funding crisis, as she hilariously tries to break back in to the Houses of Parliament. And we loved the analogy of the Lord Chancellor having a terrifying nightmare that he had to move the Palace of Westminster to the frozen north as part of the government’s levelling up agenda. Perfect!

 

Did the Lord Chancellor’s page make it out of the performance physically unscathed?  He is bounced from place to place – falling, being clobbered and then dropped from a great height.  Give the marvellous Adam Bown his own one-man comedy show.

 

Please check out our other reviews and if you are new to opera you may find these tips useful for your first visit.

 

The ENO’s Iolanthe fairy world is a colourful pot pourri. Each fairy costume has been painstakingly designed to match the fairy’s unique personality – be that sexy and sultry, rotund and matronly or fun and impish. And the fairies stole our hearts. Petra Massey’s zip wire punching aerial antics have the charm of a Renaissance cherub. Bethan Langford as Leila exudes demure dimple-poking sweetness. The metal-clad, Wagneresque Queen of the Fairies, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, electrifies with a powerful performance embodying matriarchal warmth and strength. Samantha Price as Iolanthe brings her distinctive mezzo soprano and balletic moves to the titular role.

Catherine Wyn-Rogers, ENO Chorus, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller
Catherine Wyn-Rogers, ENO Chorus, ENO Iolanthe 2023 © Craig Fuller

 

Samantha Price in title role 2023 © Craig Fuller
Samantha Price in title role 2023 © Craig Fuller

All in all, Iolanthe is a splendid frothy confection that will be voraciously devoured by both adults and children alike.

Maxine Morse

Maxine trained as an opera critic on ENO Response the opera critics training scheme sponsored by the English National Opera and mentored by Critics’ Circle. She is currently taking live performance reviewing courses at the City Lit and Harvard University.

Please get in touch if you would like her to review opera for your publication.

UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON
Iolanthe at the English National Opera.
Samantha Price as Iolanthe and John Savournin as the Lord Chancellor in  Iolanthe in the  Cal McCrystal production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Iolanthe continuing the 2023 to 2024 season of the English National Opera at the London Colosseum. The opening night for ENO Iolanthe is on the 5 of October  and then 12 performances up until the 25th of October.

 

 

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ENO Peter Grimes Review – A Harrowing Thriller

Gwyn Hughes Jones as ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles

 

The ENO’s Peter Grimes is not going to be a cosy night at the opera. You can see that in the sparse cantilevered set – dark and gloomy. This will be harrowing viewing.

In a small gossipy fishing village on the English East Coast we find the brow-beaten Peter Grimes (Gwyn Hughes Jones) standing trial for the death of his apprentice. Grimes protests it was an unfortunate accident and Swallow (Clive Bayley), the prosecuting lawyer, forcefully disputes his account much to the delight of the baying crowd. Reluctantly acquitted, Grimes is clearly guilty in the court of public opinion.

Peter Grimes, the impoverished fisherman, is the Borough’s scapegoat. Neither likeable or dislikeable, he melds into his grimy and grey surroundings. But he has dreams. Conventional, keeping up with the Joneses dreams, of a wife, a house, a happy life and money. This will buy him status and an escape from exclusion.

 

Unable to work alone or pay for adult labour, he must fly in the face of Swallow’s advice by finding another apprentice to repair nets and help haul fish.

 

Ellen Orford (Elizabeth Llewellyn) longs to marry Grimes. He is not a catch but probably the best that a lonely widow can do. She convinces the Borough that she will nurture and safeguard any child procured for Grimes from the workhouse.

Elizabeth Llewellyn makes a stunning debut as Ellen Orford in ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles
Elizabeth Llewellyn makes a stunning debut as Ellen Orford in ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles

Grimes has spied a shoal of fish.  But a deadly storm is brewing. Grimes sees his chance as no other fishermen will be brave enough to net it. The boy is tired and terrified.

 

We can see this is not going to end well…

 

Elizabeth Llewellyn starts out scratchy and screechy, singing in the upper range of her register, mirroring her inner desperation. Her voice mellows into a powerful angst-ridden performance that propels us into her inner world of hopes and dreams that are constantly dashed like waves crashing on the shoreline.

 

Peter Grimes’s apprentice, Rudy Williams, with his animalistic hiding behaviours and mute writhing, perfectly conveys the sheer fright of being apprenticed to a potential murderer.

William Biletsky captures pure terror in his role as Peter Grimes's apprentice ©2023 Tom Bowles
Rudy Williams captures pure terror in his role as Peter Grimes’s apprentice ©2023 Tom Bowles

Set against the theme of social alienation is a Dickensian exploration into small town bigoted bloody mindedness. The hypocrisy of the village is laid bare.  The apothecary Ned Keene (Alex Otterburne) is not above supplying laudanum to the elderly Mrs Sedley (Anne-Marie Owens), a sleuthing Miss Marple who in turn, gleefully spreads unfounded gossip about Grimes in her drug fuelled haze.

 

Two pre-pubescent nieces (Cleo Lee-McGowan and Ava Dodd) who hopscotch dance and carry their dolls are sexual fodder for the sleazy fisherman and Methodist preacher Bob Boles (John Findon).

Cleo Lee-McGowan and Ava Dodd put on a magnetising performance with their robotic acting and crazed demeanour. ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles
Cleo Lee-McGowan and Ava Dodd put on a magnetising performance with their robotic acting and crazed demeanour. ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles

Their Auntie, a pub landlord (Christine Rice) prowls round the stage in her fur coat and walking stick. Rice’s forceful vocals make her the embodiment of female power in this male centric society.  She is after all the purveyor of sex and alcohol.

Christine Rice with her manly attire is the embodiment of female power in this male dominated community. ©2023 Tom Bowles
Christine Rice with her manly attire is the embodiment of female power in this male dominated community. ©2023 Tom Bowles

The chorus scenes shine bright. Mob rule at its best. The movement director, Maxine Braham, does a fine job of creating spectacle after spectacle…the crowd clench fists, clasp hands and punch the air…or dance a surreal country jig reinforcing the notion that this tightly knit community will be seeking their next victim when they have dispensed with Grimes.

Director David Alden creates a thrilling psychological spectacle. On occasions, he takes things too far. Would even the most despicable drunk sexually intimidate an elderly woman?

Please check out our other reviews and if you are new to opera you may find these tips useful for your fist visit.

It is rare to find an opera where the lighting plays such a pivotal role in evoking a menacing atmosphere. Lighting revival designer, Gary James, takes us from bleak seashore to dim workhouse, to cosy pub, to evening street party and then to Grimes’s solo dramatic soliloquy with its strong, almost incandescent, light and black shadows.

 

Gwyn Hughes Jones role is challenging. It calls for a socially inept man who yearns to rise to life’s challenges but is held back by lack of self belief. Hughes Jones slips into this role with apparent ease, neither singing too forcefully or too timidly. His voice convincingly conveys the twists and turns of his enigmatic situation.

The ebullient crowd scenes are a special treat. ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles
The ebullient crowd scenes are a special treat. ENO Peter Grimes ©2023 Tom Bowles

Martyn Brabbins is a master of orchestral control.  He sweeps the audience up in the stormy, frothing sea, harbour bustle, misery and hopelessness. The orchestra came on stage for much-deserved applause during the curtain call. Their performance was the tour de force of the night.

 

We prayed hard and fervently for Grimes to reappear with his workhouse apprentice…simply a misunderstanding. Or for him to heed Ellen Orford’s plea to “Come home out of this dreadful night”.  Engulfed by his feelings of unworthiness and hopelessness, he is swayed by the devilish suggestion from Captain Balstrode (Simon Bailey) to take his boat out far from shore and sink it.

 

Who will be the Borough’s next victim?

Maxine Morse

Maxine trained as an opera critic on ENO Response the opera critics training scheme sponsored by the English National Opera and mentored by Critics’ Circle. She is currently taking live performance reviewing courses at the City Lit and Harvard University.

Please get in touch if you would like her to review opera for your publication.

UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON, 18th September 2023
ENO Peter Grimes at the English National Opera.
Gwen Hughes Jones as Peter Grimes in the David Alden production of Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes opening the 2023 to 2024 season of the English National Opera at the Colosseum. The opening night is on the 21st of September and then 8 performances up until the 11th of October.

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ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour Review

ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour Review
ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour Review

As soon as I set eyes on the ENO’s Gilbert and Sullivan walking tour I pounced. There was everything to like about it…free tickets, curated by my favourite bass baritone John Savournin and an opportunity to hear great opera sung outside of a traditional auditorium.

ENO’s Gilbert and Sullivan Walking Tour

The ENO’s Gilbert and Sullivan walking tour started at the entrance to the Savoy Hotel. This was my very first surprise. I have been basking in the misapprehension that the Savoy entrance was on the Strand next to the Savoy Theatre. Who would have thought that an even grander hotel entrance with floral gardens existed behind the other grand hotel entrance?

In the midst of the flora and foliage are monuments paying homage to the combined talents of Gilbert and Sullivan.

 

Monuments and statues to Gilbert and Sullivan grace Victoria Embankment.
Monuments and statues to Gilbert and Sullivan grace Victoria Embankment.

John Savournin kicked things off wearing a black topper and giving an equally stylish rendition.

John Savournin kicked the opera tour off in style.
John Savournin kicked the opera tour off in style.

We were then whisked away to meet a handcuffed Ruairi Bowen singing a sad lament while dolefully awaiting his execution.

A doleful performance from a singer about to be executed.
A doleful performance from a singer about to be executed.

Zoe Drummond convinced us of her prim and ladylike virtues with melodic voice, all the while dancing demurely with a parasol. She wasn’t even fazed when an elderly old crock like myself tripped on the grass in front of her. Next time I hope she chooses a younger and more agile audience participant.

Prim ladylike and ultimately unfazed vocal performance.
Prim ladylike and ultimately unfazed vocal performance.

Trevor Eliot Bowes made a fine copper with his menacing Victorian gestures and his cartoonish antics. His truncheon holding and silly walk was straight out of a silent movie accompanied by a lively yet stern vocal performance.  He was a proper “job’s worth”.

A comically stern vocal performance from a Victorian policeman.
A comically stern vocal performance from a Victorian policeman.

On our travels down Whitehall we came across an overheating Ossian Huskian in full bear skinned hat regalia who entertained us royally. He caused much consternation to bemused strolling tourists.

A Royal opera treat from a singing soldier.
A Royal opera treat from a singing soldier.

We met Sir Joseph (Richard Suart), “The Ruler of the Queen’s Navee” outside Admiralty Arch. It was a perfect moment, the magnificence of Trafalgar Square and the Admiralty buildings, an eccentric and exquisitely attired admiral in his embroidery and feathers singing the most famous of Gilbert and Sullivan Songs “When I was a Lad”.

The spendors of Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square contributed to the tour.
The spendors of Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square contributed to the tour.
Meeting the Ruler of the Queen's Navee was the highlight of ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour
Meeting the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee was the highlight of ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour

We ended the tour back at the London Coliseum where we were met by two dancing and singing faeries, so sweet they looked as if they had been plucked from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales.

Sweet natured dancing faeries conclude ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour
Sweet natured dancing faeries conclude ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour

The creative and office team who had masterminded this wonderful tour were there to wave us off and we were each presented with a beautifully illustrated book of Jonathan Miller’s production of The Mikado.

It was a perfect day…perfect opera, perfect weather and perfect logistics. It is productions like this that make the ENO such an important cultural asset to London.

If you are a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan you may enjoy our review of the ENO’s HMS Pinafore. 

The ENO’s Gilbert & Sullivan Walking Tour is now sold out but keep an eye open for similar ENO initiatives and of course, book Iolanthe which is on from the 5-25 October.

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Opera Holland Park La Boheme (2023). We laughed! We cried!

Opera Holland Park’s La bohème has memorable staging and standout vocals.

Opera Holland Park, La bohème (c) Craig Fuller
Opera Holland Park, La bohème (c) Craig Fuller

La bohème is a Scintillating New Production for Opera Holland Park

Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème may be the most famous opera of all time: the spartan, gloomy scenes of impoverished Bohemian life are balanced by colourful street scenes and punctuated by dramatic arias. I always look forward to the warm, convivial meal in Café Momus in Act II which takes my mind off these freezing living conditions, lack of food and a dying heroine.

The popularity of La bohème lies in its pathos. Audiences are often moved to tears. For me, the acid test is plausibility. Do I feel that I am freezing in Paris? Am I convinced by the camaraderie of the flat sharers?  Do I feel that Rodolfo is in love with Mimi and is Musetta sufficiently exasperating?

La Boheme is Set in a 1950s Film Studio

Director, Natascha Metherill makes her Holland Park debut with an unusual twist on this 1896 classic setting it in a 1950s Italian film studio where our Bohemians are filming La Vie Parisienne.

In Act I, Adam Gilbert as Rodolfo, warmed gently to Mimì (Katie Bird), a wardrobe girl, who knocks on his attic door asking for a light for her candle. Rodolfo moves from awkward suitor to a star struck lover, all in the space of a short duet. Their sumptuous voices intensify as they become increasingly more enamoured and besotted.

The Italian film studio staging is not entirely successful and you are left puzzled why Rodolfo is wearing smart trousers, a red tie and a business shirt. It also seems unlikely that he would burn his film script in frustration at not being paid.  However, this concept does effectively resolve an issue which is how to make use of  the extra wide stage and additional stage in front of the audience pit. The back of the stage is the wardrobe department and scene cloth back drops while the protruding front stage is the preserve of the cameraman who is pushed along as if on a dolly.

Commendable Set and Costume Designs

Designer, Madeleine Boyd’s evocative street scenes are straight out of a Belle Époque poster; women in black, ruched dresses and feathered hats and men equally resplendent in tail coats and top hats were all carefully accentuated in a deep Parisian red.  The staging was enhanced by some memorable choreography of children chanting, dancing and clapping. In the midst of this, the toy seller, Papaginoli (Philip Costovski), clambers on his box and does his Greatest Show Man routine. A perfect slice of French life.

Opera Holland Park La bohème  Comic Elements

The arrival of Benoît (Henry Grant Kerswell) is always a treat; the landlord who comes to collect his rent but becomes entrapped by over sharing with his tenants who then taunt him over his womanising and throw him out. Kerswell did not disappoint, dressed in a baggy suit with a splendid voice and comical moves. Later, he plays Alcindor at the Café Momus, an elderly suitor who is perfect prey for the women of the night. Much hilarity ensues from his oafish gestures and nauseating table manners.

Musetta, a Femme Fatale with Strong Vocals

There was a standout performance from Musetta (Elizabeth Karani) with her big voice and equally large repertoire of femme fatale poses…a scary wench if there ever was one. In her duet with Marcello (Ross Ramgobin) there’s no need to read the surtitles, or speak fluent Italian, to realise that he was singing something on the lines of “Wimmen! Can’t live with them and can’t live without them”.

Directing and Conducting Triumphed Over the Usual La bohème Pitfalls

One of the tricky issues in directing La bohème concerns the Act IV attic scene with its macho camaraderie between Rodolfo, Schaunard, Colline and Marcello. If played towards the audience, it looks awkward and unconvincing and if acted more naturally facing each other, it is difficult to distinguish the voices. Natascha Metherill manages to get this just right.

The British bass, Barnaby Rea, in the role of Colline, decides to pawn his beloved jacket to pay for Mimi’s medicines. He sings “Vecchia zimarra” with deep, powerful vocals and laddish, gallic gestures. The conductor is to be commended for ensuring that this aria is nice and slow as befitting a funeral dirge.

The City of London Sinfonia Orchestra Capably Led by George Jackson

The City of London Sinfonia was capably conducted by George Jackson. He produced an almost cinematic, musical backdrop to the action leaving plenty of space for occasional pieces which were sung a capella. The music in the street scenes was bright and lively. Violins exquisitely played some befitting, sadder notes when the lovers decide to separate and on Mimì’s death scene.

Opera Holland Park’s La bohème Ticks Most of My Boxes

While the 1950s fit set staging was not entirely plausible, Opera Holland Park ensures that its La bohème is a knockout with a poignant capture of love, forceful arias, warm street vignettes, cosy café scenes and joyful camaraderie set against a backdrop of poverty, parting and death.  There were many wet eyes in the house as the lights went up.

 

If you enjoy opera you may like to read our other opera reviews. We have previously reviewed ENO’s La bohème. If you are new to opera you may also enjoy our blog post on tips for a perfect night at the London opera.

 

Performances until 5 August 2023. A few tickets remain and they can be purchased from the Opera Holland Park La Boheme website.

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REVIEW: Satyagraha at the London Coliseum by Maxine Morse, 14 October 2022

The ENO has produced a sparkling revival of Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha to commence their 2021 Winter season at the London Coliseum. It follows Ghandi’s early career in South Africa and is part cirque du soleil, part mystical experience, part manifesto for radicals.

ENO Satyagraha 2021

A young Gandhi, a suited, suitcased lawyer, ejected from a first-class South African rail carriage sits in a heap besides the road. He depicts the struggles of the immigrant, subjected to small acts of everyday prejudice, shoved, pelted with debris and always being treated as “less than”.

Immigrants are the shoe shining underclasses who pander to the boorish Afrikaners; tattered, dusty, rusty and invisibly blending into the corrugated iron back drop of the set.

Gandhi turns to the holy scripture the Bhagavad-Gita, not to bear his lot, but to plan his movement. When you wage a war with weapons you don’t battle a faceless enemy, you kill your family, friends and neighbours who hold differing viewpoints. The author, Leo Tolstoy provides Gandhi with a formula for winning a revolution in “Letter to a Hindu”, you fight back with love.

Satyagraha means “insistence on truth”. It encompasses methods of passive resistance; the 240 mile Dandi Salt March in 1930 to protest the British imposed salt tax is enacted by peasants, farmers and urban labourers who swish the water with baskets to harvest salt. Gandhi galvanises his supporters with his newsletter, The Indian Opinion which rains on the stage like confetti. The crowds, with trepidation, burn their discriminatory Asian registration certificates in a fire pit.

The libretto (Phelim McDermott and Constance De Jong) is sung in Sanskrit without surtitles, rendering the performance more mime than opera with the Bhagavad-Gita acting as a philosophical and vocal backdrop. Gandhi’s (Sean Panikkar) vocals soar and dip in both hope and spiritual lament.

I had so many questions…some of them more pragmatic than artistic.

  • How do you train an English performing chorus to sing in Sanskrit?
  • How does Carolyn Kuan, in her debut performance, manage to conduct the obscurest of vocals?

And the questions kept on coming…

I implore you read a plot synopsis. Otherwise, you will spend the first interval queuing for a programme and playing speed-reading-catch-up instead of drinking a gin and tonic in the bar.

Maybe you struggle with non-linear plots and meditative eastern chanting is “all Greek to you”. Maybe you are a person like me! So why venture out on a cold, dark, autumnal night?

Go…this opera is a rare act of beauty, a spiritual tour de force with Glass’s signature minimalist music counterbalanced by a visually spectacular set filled to the rafters with aerialists, grotesque puppets and props crafted out of waste and humble materials.

Go…to be moved by the sheer pathos of a thin, wiry, magnetic man who faced injustice head on to start a movement which changed the world.

Satyagraha ENO – to book tickets go to the ENO website.

Maxine Morse  wrote this review of Satyagraha as part of her opera critics training at the English National Opera. To see other reviews from her training see The Valkyrie, HMS Pinafore, The Handmaid’s Tale, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Cunning Little Vixen and La Boheme.

 

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HMS Pinafore at the ENO Review by Maxine Morse

HMS Pinafore is unashamedly the epitome of flag waving, English Englishness. I immediately sensed fish and chips, fairgrounds, childhood cut-out paper dolls and folk watching their Ps and Qs.

HMS Pinafore Review at ENO (c) Marc Brenner
HMS Pinafore Review at ENO (c) Marc Brenner

This 1878 comedy opera, aimed at satirising Victorian inept politicians and ridiculous social mores, has the audience rolling in their seats as the near-knuckle jokes reveals much about their own personal prejudices and proclivities.

HMS Pinafore Cast

So who is taking us on the HMS Pinafore voyage of discovery?

The faffing Captain Corcoran is well liked, despite having all the charisma of a soggy packet of crisps. John Savournin delightfully conveys this blustering ineptitude through his deep, well-modulated tones.

Welcome “his betters” – deluded, class-obsessed Sir Joseph Porter and the exceedingly well-heeled entourage of “his sisters and his cousins and his aunts”. Les Dennis, is a casting masterstroke…his arthritic hips don’t stop him clambering about the deck, chasing the captain’s daughter and sabotaging the carefully choreographed dance routines. He does a blissful job of “When I Was a Lad”. You can envisage him sweeping and polishing as an office junior and marvel at the cronyism that caused him to rise to First Lord of the Admiralty.

Hilary Summers, as Little Buttercup, cuts a matronly, common-sense figure with her fine voice and no-nonsense attitude. You do wonder how one so refined could have been involved in the deplorable profession of baby farming.

HMS Pinafore’s two lovers, Alexandra Oomens (Josephine, the Captain’s Daughter) and Elgan Llyr Thomas (Ralph Rackstraw) are beautifully melodic and hit the highest, highs of dramatic intensity and passion. And then there is a suitably, irritating tap-dancing cabin boy (Rufus Bateman) who masterfully gets into character and produces the desired effect, as I had a burning urge to get on stage to chastise him.

HMS Pinafore Directed for Laughs

Cal McCrystal directs this opera for laughs…a hunched, elderly, confused, stick bearing woman, dwarfed in acres of lime green netting stole the show by falling down a trap door. Boris Johnson, makes a hilarious entrance on a zip wire waving a Union Jack. And the blast of a firing canon wakes the odd audience member who had too much wine at the interval.

Masterly and Upbeat Conducting

Chris Hopkins conducts the orchestra with the energy that you would expect on the last night of the proms…upbeat, punchy, knee bobbing and seamlessly blending with the vocals.

Colourful Period Costumes Worthy of Hollywood

Period costumes by takis, colourful, voluminous and crinolined, turn a bleak sea of blue and white into scenes worthy of “The Greatest Showman”.

The set design has a whiff of extravagance…a huge vessel, rotating to reveal the top deck, the captain’s quarters and the ship exterior.

HMS Pinafore a Glorious and Sumptuous Spectacle

Finally, we must offer posthumous thanks to our fine Victorian composer and librettist, Gilbert and Sullivan who through plot twists and turns, avoid controversy by ensuring that each of our eminent Englishmen marries within his social class.

HMS Pinafore is a glorious and sumptuous spectacle that conveys a simple, almost Shakespearian message, that “all’s well that ends well”. Maybe HMS Pinafore is our rightful reward for surviving Brexit and the dark depths of the pandemic.

You may be interested in our other opera reviews.

Maxine Morse  wrote this review of  HMS Pinafore as part of her opera critics training at the English National Opera. To see other reviews from her training see The Valkyrie,  Così Fan Tutte, The Handmaid’s Tale, Satyagraha, The Cunning Little Vixen and La Boheme.