Ruth Elleson's Letter from London 

Billy Budd at the English National Opera: the chorus in Act 1 Photo: Clive Barda

English National Opera appears to have entered another period of administrative turmoil. The resignation of Martin Smith from the post of Chairman was closely followed by the departure of Artistic Director and Chief Executive Seán Doran, not to mention the subsequent removal of Oleg Caetani from the musical directorship which he had not yet even begun. Meanwhile on an artistic front this autumn’s output has been exemplary, and the run of strongly cast, musically exciting opera came to its climax in December with an all-star production of Billy Budd, conducted with a grand atmospheric sweep by Andrew Litton.

Billy Budd at the English National Opera: Simon Keenlyside as Billy Budd Photo: Clive Barda

Neil Armfield’s staging has previously been seen in Wales and Australia but was new to ENO; the set is very simple but concentrates the action perfectly, consisting principally of a platform on a hydraulic mechanism which pitches and rolls with the motion of the ship. Its main point of controversy is that Billy’s execution takes place offstage, which dampens the intensity of the moment.

In the title role, Simon Keenlyside would be in a class of his own even without his renowned physical agility and strength. He may not be the ‘big lad’ described in the libretto, but seems completely at one with the character’s confidence, enthusiasm and sincerity and is so believable that his last-act solo is all the more heartbreaking.

It was never really clear why John Tomlinson’s Claggart had it in for Billy; if the two men were closer in age there would be a more reasonable case for resentment, jealousy and (in Claggart’s case) vaulting ambition. Nonetheless, Tomlinson sang with thunderous voice and conveyed a real sense of menace.

Billy Budd: (from left) Ashley Holland as Mr Redburn, Timothy Robinson as Captain Vere, Pavlo Hunka as Mr Flint, Simon Thorpe as Lieutenant Ratcliffe; bottom (from left) Adrian Thompson as Red Whiskers, Toby Stafford-Allen as Donald, Simon Keenlyside as Billy Budd and Gwynne Howell as Dansker in Act 1 Photo: Clive Barda

If there was going to be a weak link in the principal casting, the assumption was that it would be Timothy Robinson’s Captain Vere – but he surprised everyone with an eloquent and deeply moving portrayal, with more voice and less melancholy than I’ve ever heard from him. There was a bleak emptiness about his epilogue which suggested that once the curtain was down, there was a real danger that Vere would turn around and throw himself into the sea.

There are too many supporting roles in this opera for me to mention everybody individually, but of particular note were Ashley Holland (Mr Redburn), Pavlo Hunka (Mr Flint) and Gwynne Howell (Dansker). Among the company’s emerging stars, James Edwards’s Novice was outstanding. The enormous cast (with almost 60 in the chorus alone) made for a terrific concentration of sound which gave some sort of idea of the intensity of atmosphere one might experience when stuck on a ship with all those people.

Billy Budd at the English National Opera: Simon Keenlyside as Billy Budd and John Tomlinson as Claggart Photo: Clive Barda

At Covent Garden’s Linbury Studio Theatre, Olivia Fuchs’s new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream provided a showcase platform for several past and present members of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker (formerly Vilar) Young Artists’ Scheme, along with several guest artists.

Upon entry to the theatre, things looked less than promising; the set consisted of little more than an abundance of blue neon strip lighting. The centrepiece of this model of dullness was a row of theatre seating, and when the Athenians, dressed in smart modern dress for an evening at the opera, were ushered in, it soon became clear that the blandness was intentional. The lights came down; the imaginary “show” started, and was so uninspiring that within a minute or so the Athenians had nodded off and were being literally whisked away by the fairies.

A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House: Robert Murray as Lysander, Tove Dahlberg as Hermia, Grant Doyle as Demetrius and Katie van Kooten as Helena in the final act Photo: Catherine Ashmore

Gillian Keith and William Towers were both visually and vocally ideal for the roles of Tytania and Oberon, she crystal-voiced and wide-eyed in a blonde wig which shrouded her tiny figure from head to toe, he with an ethereal tone and other-worldly presence. The superb aerial acrobat Jami Reid-Quarrell was an immense hit as Puck in spite of a lack of originality in his delivery of the dialogue. They were supported by an unusually strong (and unfailingly in tune) set of fairy soloists and chorus from Tiffin Boys’ Choir.

Darren Jeffery played Bottom with substantial voice and an even more substantial personality, as endearing as a young Terfel, particularly in his Dream monologue; Andrew Kennedy’s Flute made quite the most comical Thisbe imaginable (being broad-built and broad-footed, the sight of him in a pink frock and high heels was a sight to behold!) and they were ably supported by the other mechanicals, particularly Jeremy White’s endearing Snug/Lion. The Athenian lovers (Katie van Kooten, Tove Dahlberg, Robert Murray and Grant Doyle) were beautifully matched, with Dahlberg particularly impressive as a spirited and sympathetic Hermia. The ‘Jewel’ quartet was spine-tingling. Only Liora Grodnikaite’s glamorous Hippolyta seemed to have rather too much voice for her role.

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Gillian Keith as Tytania with members of Tiffin Boys Choir as the fairies, at the end of Act 1 Photo: Catherine Ashmore

As for the unpromising blue neon, it was sparingly and cleverly used in order to create an eerie ambience, complemented by Richard Hickox’s delicacy of touch in the pit. The visuals were completed by film projections on the rear wall. Such an atmosphere is not easy to create in this little grey box of a theatre, which has sharp corners and too many patches of dead acoustic, but both the vocal performance and the staged production succeeded in being truly magical.

In January 2006, I will be focussing on the Royal Opera’s new productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, staged by directorial duo Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser, and Le nozze di Figaro, staged by David McVicar to mark the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s death.

© Ruth Elleson, 5 January 2006

Ruth Elleson is London's youngest opera critic. An Internet pioneer, she posted her first reviews on the net at the age of 19. Originally from the historic city of Durham in the north of England, she moved to London after university at York. She now attends up to 200 opera and concert performances a year, A frequent visitor to the conservatoires and vocal competitions, she has an unrivalled knowledge of upcoming vocal talent. A singer in her own right, Ruth performs as a mezzo-soprano in the professional five-voice choir of the Church of the Annunciation, Marble Arch.

See also the archives for previous reports from London.