The Perfect American at The London Coliseum

On the evening of Thursday 27th June 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Philip Glass's The Perfect American at the London Coliseum. I enjoy my visits to this amazing venue with it's relaxed atmosphere and the English National Opera's productions always seem unique and interesting.

Based on Peter Stephan Jungk’s novel and written by Philip Glass, one of the world’s most important composers, The Perfect American imagines the final months of Walt Disney’s life, including mythical imaginings of Abraham Lincoln and Andy Warhol. This latest opera from Glass, his 24th, was commissioned by ENO and Teatro Real Madrid to mark his 75th birthday.

The sounds of Minimalism and the world of Walt Disney made for a surreal night at the London Coliseum as we discovered Disney’s delusions of immortality and got a glimpse into his private life. There were fantastic performances from Christopher Purves as Walt Disney and Janis Kelly in the role of Disney’s studio nurse and confidante.

This was a very enjoyable night at the London Coliseum as Philip Glass's The Perfect American made for a fascinating and entertaining Opera which included a brilliant score. The Opera ends with Dantine, an animator who worked on the classic Disney films, meeting the undertaker at the funeral home. He is told that Walt Disney has not been frozen but rather his body has been cremated. In the distance the chorus echoes Disney’s dreams of a magical world of everlasting happiness.

Sunken Garden at the Barbican

On the evening of Saturday 13th April 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Sunken Garden at the Barbican in the City of London. This film-opera with libretto by bestselling author David Mitchell and score by Dutch composer Michel van der Aa combined music, text and visual images including one of opera's first uses of 3D film.

This occult mystery opera's world premiere featured Roderick Williams, Katherine Manley, Claron McFadden, Jonathan McGovern and Kate Miller-Heidke. The ENO Orchestra were conducted by Andre de Ridder. The characters Toby Kramer, Zenna Briggs and Iris Marinus appeared on stage while Simon Vines and Amber Jacquemain were on film. Put on the 3D glasses when entering the door under the flyover.

This film-opera follows a missing person and those who are searching for him. A parachutist falls to earth. Toby Kramer, a wannabe video-artist, is visited by one Zenna Briggs in his basement flat and wishes to see Toby's work in progress. This multi-layered production explores hoax and dark truth, while we ponder the connection of the disappearance of a software engineer with a neurotic film-maker and a gullible patroness of the arts.

The Sunken Garden is an occult engine built by Zenna in the dusk between life and death. The garden converts the visitors' souls and memories into immortality for its creator. In time nothing is left of the visitors but undying moths. Iris Marinus manages to use her dying voltage to stun her enemy, Zenna. At the last possible moment Toby exits the garden via the vertical pond but with one serious catch, he is now a man trapped inside Zenna's body.

Sunken Garden is an opera full of interesting ideas and innovations. This is a production for the 21st Century which uses a combination of live theatre with visual technology making this a truly contemporary piece. From my seat in the Barbican Theatre I was taken into many different dimensions and I really enjoyed how the live cast interacted with the filmed performances.

Simon Vines is dressed in parachuting gear, and Sadaqat and Mrs Wales wave him onto a light aircraft. Up it climbs. Out he jumps. Look at it, this... massive, unfair, beautiful, cruel, miraculous... World-Machine. Look at it. And you think, I'm part of this, too. This production asks questions about the future direction of opera. I found it very stimulating and enjoyable.

Medea at the London Coliseum

On the evening of Wednesday 20th February 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medea at the London Coliseum. This continues ENO's pioneering exploration of French baroque operatic masterpieces with this being the first ever UK/London staging of Charpentier's dramatic full scale opera.

The exemplary cast included internationally acclaimed British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly in the title role, US tenor Jeffrey Francis making his ENO debut as Jason, internationally acclaimed bass Brindley Sherratt returning to ENO to sing the role of Creon and exceptional baritone Roderick Williams as Orontes. David McVicar directed this reworking of Medea which updates the opera to the close of the Second World War. The Opera is set in a baroque palace which is being used as a war room and meeting place for allied officers.

Banished, betrayed, besieged on all sides, the barbarian sorceress Medea exacts a terrible vengeance upon her faithless lover and all those he holds most dear. David McVicar reworked one of the most disturbing of all the Greek myths, that of a mother who murders her own children. Charpentier’s thrillingly orchestrated score boasts a harmonic daring and psychological complexity unparallelled in its day.

This was an amazing evening to be at the London Coliseum as Sarah Connolly put on a wonderful performance as Medea on a brilliant but scary night on St. Martin's Lane. The musical theatre choreography with prancing sailors and chorus girls made for some light relief and laughter during the Opera. I always enjoy my visits to the London Coliseum as it is very interesting to see how the ENO are going to rework the Opera's they perform. This was a great success for the ENO and made this a night to remember for me at the Opera in London.

The Flying Dutchman at the London Coliseum

On Saturday 5th May 2012 I was back in London at the London Coliseum to attend the English National Opera's performance of Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. This Opera was performed in english with translation by David Pountney. This production was directed by Jonathan Kent.

Edward Gardner was conductor as the Orchestra put on an outstanding performance which complimented the events on stage with Orla Boylan as Senta, Stuart Skelton as Erik, Clive Bayley as Daland and James Creswell as The Dutchman taking us to the world of Richard Wagner.

The Flying Dutchman provides an early outing for Wagner's idea of redemption through death: so called 'love-deaths' occur in several of his operas, and the Dutchman delivers a particularly vivid one in a legendary story which is salt-washed by dramatic sea-storms and fearful apparitions.

The opera begins with Daland's ship riding out a tempest which suddenly disgorges the ghostly ship of the Dutchman, a sea-captain cursed to roam the seas for ever, but allowed to come ashore every seven years – his sin of blasphemy will be wiped clean if he can find a wife who will be true to him. The stranger offers Daland gold for the hand of his unmarried daughter Senta, sight unseen. Senta knows the legend of the Dutchman and is determined to save him. When she meets the stranger, the connection is made, and she swears eternal fidelity. Daland's crew and the villagers try in vain to tempt the stranger's crew ashore: when these ghostly figures finally appear, everyone flees in fear.

Senta's discarded boyfriend Erik recalls their love and wants to rekindle it. Overhearing this, the stranger concludes that he has been betrayed again and once again is doomed. To general consternation, he reveals his identity as the Flying Dutchman and sets sail. Proclaiming herself faithful unto death, Senta throws herself into the sea – redeemed, they are seen ascending to heaven.

As you would expect from the English National Opera we were treated to a dramatic evening with a brilliant staging of Wagner's opera which is set on the Norwegian coast. With dreams, nightmares and ship in a bottle factories set against the raging sea we were taken on a rollercoaster ride with our emotions as the opera was performed without an interval to give us the full effects of this sometimes dark epic.