Richard Jones’ new production of Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West has many of the hallmarks of his style. The settings are bright, colourful and modern, the strip lights cheerfully at odds with the late nineteenth century costumes. The action is naturalistic, the crowd movement fluid and convincing, the voices placed forward and reflected from the heavy sets. This all places the emotional impact of the work firmly in the hands of the soloists, who are given the weight and authority of the old frontier rather than of svelte opera singers.

Susan Bullock and Peter Auty are presented as middle-aged lovers. This may be her first kiss but there is no pretence that she is a young woman. Susan Bullock’s Minnie is a genuine mother-figure, and she convinces us that she has the emotional strength to overcome all of the potential barbarities of the Wild West. The voice is large and often thrilling even if it became a little squally at the top under the pressures of the first night. Peter Auty makes an heroic Dick Johnson, his big numbers ringing out with ease and splendid musicality. If these two are credible human beings, Craig Colclough’s Jack Rance is closer to stereotypical western Sheriff, with broad gestures and large cigars.

Of the large number of smaller parts Graham Clark’s assured Nick was outstanding, but there were no weaknesses on stage – a tribute to the quality of ENO’s ensemble.

In the pit Keri-Lynn Wilson made the most of the romantic, often sentimental, orchestration and lulled us into believing what we were experiencing on stage.

Another fine night at the Coliseum – and what a splendid idea to start the work by fully lighting the proscenium so that we could enjoy the magnificence of the theatre itself just for once.