Last Updated on September 25, 2024
Regents Opera are off to a promising start at the Freemasons’ Hall
It’s pretty gutsy for a ‘fringe’ opera company to take on Der Ring des Nibelungen. Everything about Wagner is big, whereas ‘fringe’ opera tends to be thought of as small (budgets, orchestra, venues and so on). Regents Opera proves here that this is not always the case, successfully achieving Wagnerian scale and grandeur in the first of four parts.
Regents Opera, formerly Fulham Opera, has taken on the ring before: Artistic Director Ben Woodward played it all on the piano a decade ago in a church. This is an entirely different beast. Woodward has arranged the whole thing for a chamber-sized orchestra plus organ with great success, retaining the colours and fullness of Wagner’s score with only 18 instruments.
Director Caroline Staunton’s production aims to centre the emotional arcs of the central characters, playing down the mythical archetypes of gods and dwarves. To explain the magical occurrences Staunton draws from the art world, specifically performance art. An empty plinth (referencing Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth) becomes the magical helm that allows Alberich to transform into a giant dragon. Objects presented on plinths scattered around the stage signify which realm the action is taking place in. These were a little clumsy, but as an art school graduate, I’m perhaps more snobbish about these things than most. Evoking the exhibition space, which lends objects within it a certain prestige allows Staunton to question whether the power of the ring is inherent, or if its power is simply in the eye of the beholder.
The Freemasons’ Hall really makes a most suitable Valhalla, golden mosaics adorn the ceiling of the Grand Temple. The audience is seated around a central stage and very close to the action. The stage, lined with gold reflects light up to the ceiling, sometimes evoking water, fire or gold. This perhaps takes away from the idea of white cube exhibition space but is a completely remarkable effect.
Clever casting from Ben Woodward and strong vocals result in a high standard of performance across the board. Oliver Gibbs is a brilliant Alberich – his portrayal less comic and snivelling, more a worthy adversary to Wotan. Gibbs flexes his acting muscles, making the transition from dwarf scorned by the Rhinemaidens, to the power-hungry overlord. Loge, played by James Schouten shines as a camp and fabulous advisor to Wotan, his voice rings out crisp and bright across the hall. Schouten seems tremendously at ease breaking up the Wagnerian stasis with levity and movement.
The Rhinemaidens (Jillian Finnamore, Mae Heydorn and Justine Viani) create a beautiful full sound. Innocent and naive, they are afraid of Alberich rather than poking fun at his attempts to seduce them. Fricka (Ingeborg Novrup Børch) and Wotan (Keel Watson) hint at strong performances to come. Watson’s Wotan is shrewd and still but shares glimpses of his sheer might, both vocally and dramatically.
Fafner and Fasolt, played by Craig Lemont Walters and Henry Grant Kerswell, are like a Wagnerian George and Lennie (think Of Mice and Men), with Freia very much the object of Fasolt’s obsession (much like the novel). Holden Madagame gives an energetic characterful performance as Mime, the dwarf metalsmith.
Conductor Woodward keeps things moving with momentum, leaving no room for stagnation. The arrangement is clever, still conveying the grandeur and depth of Wagner with a much-reduced orchestra. A special mention to the trombonist who makes up the entire lower brass section (there’s definitely no time for a quick break in this one). The orchestra prove more than capable of producing Wagnerian crescendos when needed: especially Albrecht’s transformation into the dragon where we first hear the Freemason’s hall organ, which was used sparingly to great effect.
Das Rheingold is a really exciting start to this cycle and will make a very interesting comparison with the Ring Cycles in the works from the Royal Opera House and ENO over the next couple of years. It is paired back but certainly packs a punch.
17th and 19th November
Regents Opera at Freemasons’ Hall
London
WC2B 5AZ
Absolutely amazing production — wow!
A very thoughtful and sensitive review. What an achievement…a small stage and a small orchestra and yet the result measured up brilliantly to performances on a far grander scale in the major opera houses in Germany.. Looking forward very much to the rest of Der Ring.