White Rock Theatre, Hastings 26 April 2013
Sometimes known as the One Song Opera, sometimes judged ‘far too long for any UK performance’ and thus rarely heard in its entirety, moreover ‘it’s set in Ceylon’ (as Sri Lanka then was) ‘and who wants to know about that?’
Just some of the reasons why few of the audience knew what was in store. However Director Jenny Miller put such fears to rest with an unusual but highly workable setting, virtually playing the entire story on the front half of the theatre’s stage, with seating for the chorus on Actors’ Left and on Actors’ Right, plus two large sails, lit from behind so that they virtually became shadowgraphs. With cleverly concealed coloured floods discreetly positioned amid the performance area, the different times of day and moods of action were unobtrusively indicated.
The story is basically the eternal ‘triangle drama’ of the film world, two men in love with the same woman. Only in this case one of the men, fisherman Nadia (tenor Ian Parrett) had chosen to make himself scarce, so that all was well with the romance of the leader of the fishermen Zurga,(baritone Peter Grevatt,) and the beautiful Leila, soprano Luci Briginshaw. Before Nadir left he and Zurga swore that they would never fall in love with the same woman in the one piece from the opera that is familiar, known merely asThe Duet from the Pearl Fishers. The audience was doubtless surprised that the one ‘big’ number of the opera was heard so early, though in fact the orchestra later reprised the melody. Nadir did return as Zurga was explaining that a boat was coming from an adjoining island with the high priest Nourabad (bass-baritone Toby Sims) bringing a veiled lady a nun who if she breaks her vows will be punished with death.
The veiled lady was of course Leila, and when she saw Nadir, her hymn to the Goddess Siva turned ito a declaration of love for him. Leila as a girl had given sanctuary to a fugitive whom in return had presented her with a necklace. Leila gave this necklace to one of the guards Zurga saw this and snatched it back, realising that Leila was the young girl who saved his life. The villagers had prepared a funeral pyre for Leila and Nadir, but Zurga, resigned to the loss of his love, told Nadir and Leila to flee whilst Zurga remained to face the fury of the villagers and in a fit of rage Nourabad stabbed him to death.
Kenneth Roberts conducted the Sussex Concert Orchestra, leader Andrew Laing, with obvious delight at having the opportunity to present something fresh and they responded magnificently. Mention must be made of the original props and stage dressings which added so much to the atmosphere of the production and the originality of the setting, which permitted the chorus to add greatly to the development of the story.
And above all, thanks indeed to Jenny Miller whose expertise and experience showed throughout every aspect of the production so that one looks forward to the next time Miss Miller takes on the directorial role of Opera South-East. MW