Carmen, Colliseum ****

I was lucky enough to be invited to the dress rehearsal of Carmen in seats where you could actually see the emotions on the singers' faces. At times, Bizet's score feels like diluted Puccini but I can certainly see how this opera has become a masterpiece. Complex characters with a pretty simple plot, which is quite closely linked to musical theatre, means that it is great for anyone who wants to get an accessible taste of opera. Bieto's production is distinctly Spanish with a simple but evocative set that at one point is a border post and at another a bull ring. The lighting from Bruno Poet is genius that jump immediately from lighting a huge crowd to a single spotlight on Leigh Melrose's Escamillo. Performances are brilliant all round. Justina Gringyte's Carmen is superbly sung, capturing the vulnerability in what could be a hard, unsympathetic role. Eric Cutler is wonderful in building up Don Jose's love for Carmen so when things turn psycho, you still root for him. The chorus is typically brilliant to create another extremely strong ENO production.