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More Fantasy?

ROBERT HUGILL has reservations
about Terry Gilliam's production of
Berlioz's 'The Damnation of Faust'

 

Terry Gilliam's new production of Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust (seen 6 May 2011) was highly anticipated, partly because of simple interest in what Gilliam, a noted exponent of fantasy on film, would come up with in the theatre. But also whether the production would provide validation for English National Opera's use of directors from the film world working for the first time in opera. In that event, Gilliam delivered a reasonably solid piece of work which was workmanlike enough in operatic terms, but lacked the element of free flowing fantasy for which he was famous. In fact, I did wonder whether Gilliam had delivered a production which was rather more traditional than ENO had quite intended.

Berlioz never wrote The Damnation of Faust to be staged...

Copyright © 8 May 2011 Robert Hugill,
London UK

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HECTOR BERLIOZ

ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA

CHRISTOPHER PURVES

EDWARD GARDNER

LONDON

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