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My first two visits to Glyndebourne this year were two of the best experiences one could wish for. You make an effort to get to an inaccessible place to watch a supposed inaccessible art form and you appreciate it all the more for that. Your day is sacrificed in order to watch and experience a group of people, an organisation, strive for perfection in a way that you rarely see in London. This perhaps is why I took so easily to David Hare's play about Glyndebourne's conception at the Hampstead Theatre. It is a celebration of striving for excellence; the singleminded, ambitious aims of John Christie and the importance of art at it's purest. Hare manages to create a narrative of Glyndebourne's early years whilst jumping about different time gaps which in so many cases is frustrating but here goes unnoticed. It is a riveting play which keeps you hooked for the duration. Rae Smith has designed a set which shows the construction of beauty with an unfinished oil painting of the organ room with a stage being surrounded by tables and paintings off stage for action that isn't about Glyndebourne itself which Jeremy Herrin stages ingeniously. Roger Allam is, as ever, delightful to watch as the headstrong yet personable John Christie whilst Nancy Carroll is quiet yet forceful as his wife Audrey Mildmay. George Taylor, Paul Jesson and Nick Sampson are wonderful as the team who come to turn Christie's dream into reality. There is one speech which Roger Allam performs spectacularly well addressing the price of art, saying that people need to invest in the art they see 'and if it takes a whole day and wipes out their savings, so much the better'. Whilst this argument is strong, it is an argument I fundamentally disagree with. Art does require investment but if that means that a whole section of society can't access that art, that art form becomes elitist and exclusive which is disturbing to me. It is therefore to the plays credit that I came out of this play pleased, despite this speech, and this comes down to the talent of the cast and creative team.
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On a damp and dark day, the dress rehearsal of Saul didn't give us a chance for the full Glyndebourne experience, instead letting the art take precedence. The dark day was totally overshadowed by the majesty and brightness of Handel's music and Barrie Kosky's production. From the first half, you can tell that this piece is an oratorio with the vast amount of God praising. Despite this, the production ranks as one of the most remarkable things I have seen in some time. It juggles minimalism with wealth and magnificence. It uses both poignancy and surrealist humour to create an overwhelming theatrical experience. Christopher Purves has acting talents that rival many of the great stage stars and his jealousy and rage created as a result of his hubris is felt stronger than any singer I have seen. Iestyn Davies is always a pleasure to listen to, with a voice that fills the large opera house with joy just as well as it does the intimate Sam Wannamaker Playhouse. Benjamin Hullet is creepy as a court jester type who embodies multiple roles in the same eerie costume whilst the women of the piece are wonderfully portrayed by Lucy Crowe and Sophie Bevan whilst Appleby portrays their brother Jonathan well, with only one misstep when a slightly homoerotic subtext is contrived between him and David in the only wrong step of a triumphant piece. A magnificent surprise opens the second half that triggered a spontaneous applause from the audience in a set design from Katrin Lea Tag that is awe inspiring and evokes the religious routes of Handel's music. It is the chorus, however, that really make this production something else.The Glyndebourne chorus create a sound that feels miraculous and the moments that they are alone on stage with the six dancers ( who do their job very well and add another dimension to an already impressive display) are the best moments of the show, and convey Handel's music in the best possible way. There are very few operatic productions that are perfect and whilst this isn't one of them, it comes very, very close.
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Before any comments about the performance itself, you have to acknowledge the whole experience of going to Glyndebourne. It was my first visit, with a ticket to the dress rehearsal, and the whole experience was heavenly. It is a mile away from any town, so has a tranquil nature to it, and is essentially a country house with a massive opera house built next to it. As you walk out for the interval and after curtain down, you don't walk out on to a murky, busy London street but onto one of the most beautiful gardens in Britain. The interval is normally 1 hour and 30 minutes for you to have your picnic before you wander through the rose garden and back to your seat. For someone who is used to the London theatre, to meet people who smile at you and experience a place as divine as this is very special. Fiona Shaw's production is worthy of such a magnificent space. Britten's opera is dramatised creatively providing true artistry that is comparable to the vision of Van Hove or Cheek by Jowl. The high rake of the stage gives this image of a world and emotions that are on edge; where Tarquinius can even entertain the possibility of committing this unspeakable act out of jealousy. The abstract set design by Michael Levine sets the piece in a bleak harsh world and allows the brutality of the plot and of Britten's music to have full impact. The lighting also is designed well by Paul Anderson, with the harsh white light that is pointed on the chorus and soldiers at the start being juxtaposed by the comforting yellow that greets Lucretia before becoming harsh again once the atrocity has been committed and Lucretia's world is turned upside down. The use of a chorus in the piece is clever in giving a voice to the audience; who comment throughout yet are unable to change the course of the opera. Britten's music is lyrical at times, like when Bianca and Lucia comment on the day, and brutish at others. The light and shade of the plot is coloured well and is a pleasure to listen to. This is also down to the masterful performances on show. Alan Clayton is powerful as the Male Chorus who also channeling the dark thoughts of Duncan Rock's similarly powerful Tarquinius. Christine Rice is a delicate and beautiful Lucretia whose pain is felt across the auditorium. The rest of the small cast are similarly wonderful and makes my first Glyndebourne experience even better.
