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<<  -- 5 --  Robert Hugill    A GRIPPING EVENING

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Besides having a good eye for the detail of the relationship between the characters, Armfield organised the production well and the big set pieces were thrilling. Unfortunately I was less impressed with the look of the production, designed by Brian Thompson (sets) and Carl Friedriech Oberle (costumes). The basic set was a black box with a flexible backdrop of clouds. In the centre of the stage was a large, unlovely hydraulic ramp. This moved round, up and every which way, enabling Armfield to create some flexible stage pictures and to move easily from one scene to another. I found that the ramp itself though was inexpressive and too basic looking -- it imbued the stage with none of the feeling of a Man of War. And Armfield seemed to think that having the ramp rotate on a bare stage was adequate visual accompaniment to Britten's lovely orchestral interludes. By the end of the opera, gripping though it was, we were heartily sick of the ramp.

A full stage shot showing the unlovely ramp. Photo © 2005 ENO/Clive Barda
A full stage shot showing the unlovely ramp. Photo © 2005 ENO/Clive Barda

The ENO orchestra played wonderfully for Andrew Litton and he seemed to have the knack of keeping them down well enough so that the singers' words came over (something that did not happen in the recent performances of The Carmelites). There were moments during the latter half of Act I when the production seemed in danger of losing pace, but this was only temporary and Litton's grip on Act 2 was masterly. The result was, despite my reservations about the look of things, a very gripping evening of theatre.

Copyright © 6 December 2005 Robert Hugill, London UK

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ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA

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