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ENO presents

Bizet's
Carmen

English Translation by Christopher Cowell

Directed by Sally Potter

London Coliseum

September 29 - November 23, 2007

Director Sally Potter acknowledges in her notes that Bizet's Carmen, once a controversial and provocative story, is now one of the most well known and performed operas of our time. Its main themes are so familiar to even the most anti-operatic of ears, instantly recognisable and hummable, evoking scenes of power, passion and desire even if you haven't got the first inkling of what they're singing about. Potter also mentions that she felt no fear in attempting to do something different with the opera as 'it has been done and will be done so many times that a potentially radical approach cannot possibly harm it.' It seems what she meant to say here is; 'cannot possibly harm it in the long term' as this production is most noticeably harmed by its reinvention in the short term.

Opening on a drab, dingy stage that contains a long, dirty wall, a lone cabin - straight off of a building site - and a tangle of overhead wires, our view is fuzzy thanks to the gauzy screen in front of the main stage. Upon this screen CCTV images are projected in their slow, choppy, black and white glory as the overture plays out. It's a nice opening, suggesting something a little dark and dangerous, that touches on modern concerns, investigates the notion of being watched and as characters come and go in the first act we see their exit down the street captured on these CCTV cameras. But this gauzy screen remains on stage throughout whole numbers without being used and it becomes a barrier between the audience and the production, as if one forgot to wear their glasses, its presence is sometimes frustrating and inexplicable. Though little good is done when it is lifted for the stage design quickly becomes stale and dull, devoid of any life and character, flatly and 'realistically' lit. Even in later scenes, most notably in Lilla Pastia's - now a nightclub - the English text speaks of multi-coloured lights, but all we have is blinding striplights with the occasional ominous glow of green or blue. The irony from text to visualisation is even more apparent in this particular scene when Carmen (Alice Coote) sings of bodies moving in wild and expressive fashion, yet on stage all that happens is a couple of dancers slowly gyrate or rub their bodies, it is a lifeless scene when one feels it should be full of excitement and movement. Furthermore when Escamillo (David Kempster), the famous matador, arrives and sings ‘Toreador’ he is re-envisioned hounded by paparazzi and fans, yet they remain curiously lifeless and still throughout his song, never becoming the chaotic throng one would imagine. There is an uncomfortable still to the whole production.

The cast are all in fine voice, though their performances are restricted and aren't aided by the lack of colour and life around them. When Carmen sings the ‘Habanera’ a number of be-suited men sway behind her, whilst one man with a slightly glittering suit does a number of wild flourishes and leaps, yet his enthusiasm sticks out like a sore thumb and distracts from rather than enhances the song. It is another in a long list of confusing choices in this unfortunately empty production. There seems to be a nervousness to the reinvention, insomuch as there was an idea, a spark of a direction in which to take things, but they have been hampered somehow. Alice Coote and Julian Gavin (as Jose) struggle against the scenery and the constraints of how they appear to have been told to move, they make the most of the occasionally leaden English translation, twisting the more awkward phrasing to the music and trying to fill their scenes with emotion, but they are merely here great singers, not actors. Even the orchestra seems distant and muted.

It is sad to write such an unenthused write-up on this production, Carmen is such a beautiful and powerful opera, yet no justice is done to that here. The advertising claims that this is a 'spectacular' production, yet the spectacle on display can be glimpsed in any London scrapyard or buiding site. It succeeds in being grimy, mucky and depressing. Though half the audience did seem to applaud with some genuine enthusiasm there was an equal portion shaking their heads in disbelief at how poorly this production has come together.

			Theatre Reviews





	Owain Paciuszko Archives Reviewers ENO presents Bizet's Carmen COPYRIGHT ENO AND ROBERT WORKMAN English Translation by Christopher Cowell Directed by Sally Potter London Coliseum September 29 - November 23, 2007 A review by Owain Paciuszko for EXTRA! EXTRA! Director Sally Potter acknowledges in her notes that Bizet's Carmen, once a controversial and provocative story, is now one of the most well known and performed operas of our time. Its main themes are so familiar to even the most anti-operatic of ears, instantly recognisable and hummable, evoking scenes of power, passion and desire even if you haven't got the first inkling of what they're singing about. Potter also mentions that she felt no fear in attempting to do something different with the opera as 'it has been done and will be done so many times that a potentially radical approach cannot possibly harm it.' It seems what she meant to say here is; 'cannot possibly harm it in the long term' as this production is most noticeably harmed by its reinvention in the short term. Opening on a drab, dingy stage that contains a long, dirty wall, a lone cabin - straight off of a building site - and a tangle of overhead wires, our view is fuzzy thanks to the gauzy screen in front of the main stage. Upon this screen CCTV images are projected in their slow, choppy, black and white glory as the overture plays out. It's a nice opening, suggesting something a little dark and dangerous, that touches on modern concerns, investigates the notion of being watched and as characters come and go in the first act we see their exit down the street captured on these CCTV cameras. But this gauzy screen remains on stage throughout whole numbers without being used and it becomes a barrier between the audience and the production, as if one forgot to wear their glasses, its presence is sometimes frustrating and inexplicable. Though little good is done when it is lifted for the stage design quickly becomes stale and dull, devoid of any life and character, flatly and 'realistically' lit. Even in later scenes, most notably in Lilla Pastia's - now a nightclub - the English text speaks of multi-coloured lights, but all we have is blinding striplights with the occasional ominous glow of green or blue. The irony from text to visualisation is even more apparent in this particular scene when Carmen (Alice Coote) sings of bodies moving in wild and expressive fashion, yet on stage all that happens is a couple of dancers slowly gyrate or rub their bodies, it is a lifeless scene when one feels it should be full of excitement and movement. Furthermore when Escamillo (David Kempster), the famous matador, arrives and sings ‘Toreador’ he is re-envisioned hounded by paparazzi and fans, yet they remain curiously lifeless and still throughout his song, never becoming the chaotic throng one would imagine. There is an uncomfortable still to the whole production. COPYRIGHT ENO AND ROBERT WORKMAN The cast are all in fine voice, though their performances are restricted and aren't aided by the lack of colour and life around them. When Carmen sings the ‘Habanera’ a number of be-suited men sway behind her, whilst one man with a slightly glittering suit does a number of wild flourishes and leaps, yet his enthusiasm sticks out like a sore thumb and distracts from rather than enhances the song. It is another in a long list of confusing choices in this unfortunately empty production. There seems to be a nervousness to the reinvention, insomuch as there was an idea, a spark of a direction in which to take things, but they have been hampered somehow. Alice Coote and Julian Gavin (as Jose) struggle against the scenery and the constraints of how they appear to have been told to move, they make the most of the occasionally leaden English translation, twisting the more awkward phrasing to the music and trying to fill their scenes with emotion, but they are merely here great singers, not actors. Even the orchestra seems distant and muted. It is sad to write such an unenthused write-up on this production, Carmen is such a beautiful and powerful opera, yet no justice is done to that here. The advertising claims that this is a 'spectacular' production, yet the spectacle on display can be glimpsed in any London scrapyard or buiding site. It succeeds in being grimy, mucky and depressing. Though half the audience did seem to applaud with some genuine enthusiasm there was an equal portion shaking their heads in disbelief at how poorly this production has come together. COPYRIGHT ENO AND ROBERT WORKMAN The London Coliseum 8 St. Martin's Lane London, WC2N 4ES Box Office: 0870 145 0200 www.eno.org/carmen Copyright © EXTRA! EXTRA All rights reserved Owain Paciuszko Archives Reviewers