United Kingdom Purcell, Dido and Aeneas: Soloists, Refrain and Orchestra of the Guildhall Faculty of Music and Drama / James Henshaw (conductor). Milton Courtroom Theatre, London, 9.6.2025. (MB)
Manufacturing:
Director – Oliver Platt
Designs – Alisa Kalyanova
Motion – Caroline Lofthouse
Lighting – Eli Hunt
Video – Mabel Nash
Refrain grasp – Henry Reavey
Forged:
Dido – Karima El Demerdasch
Aeneas – Joshua Saunders
Belinda – Manon Ogwen Parry
Sorceress – Julia Merino
Attendant / Second Lady – Hannah McKay
Witches – Seohyun Go, Julia Solomon
Spirit – Gabriella Noble
Sailor – Tobias Campos Santiñaque
This new Guildhall Dido and Aeneas, directed by Oliver Platt and designed by Alisa Kalyanova, was not the Dido of your expectations. I will be moderately certain of that. Doorways opened to disclose a membership scene onstage, digital music of a decidedly non-Stockhausen selection blasting by way of the small theatre. Dido ultimately joined, dancing as if her life trusted it; maybe, on reflection, it did. Belinda too (if certainly these have been their names). After which, abruptly every thing modified. Purcell’s music was to be heard. In an unanticipated Dr Who-like shift – will the Queen of Carthage develop into the brand new Physician heralded by Billie Piper? – we discovered ourselves in a really totally different world certainly. Its denizens took what they wished from Dido’s purse, re-clothed her, and left her usually shocked and bemused, apparently having no extra concept what was occurring than I did.
We now gave the impression to be in a rural English group, with straw figures, a maypole, and enforced nation dancing, garments suggestive extra of the early twentieth century than Purcell’s time, not to mention that of Dido and Aeneas. When Aeneas arrived, seemingly equally kidnapped, he had no extra concept what was occurring. As far as I might discern, neither of them did all through, introduced collectively by the unusual villagers, although once more, neither did I. Punk-triffid witches did their factor. Aeneas ultimately resolved to remain, Dido by then rejecting him, bodily berating him, till he turned on her and appeared on the verge (a minimum of) of sexual assault, till she stabbed him, after which she was led to the Maypole to be hanged. It was fairly absorbing in its means and really nicely blocked and choreographed, however I actually couldn’t inform you what it was about or the way it cohered. Was that the purpose? It might have been, given liberties taken – nothing mistaken with that – for the lacking music, however I think I used to be lacking one thing. Was it maybe all an unlucky dream, arising from nightclub hallucination? I concern I shall merely must admit defeat.
All within the forged, the superb refrain included, threw themselves into this oddly compelling imaginative and prescient in wholehearted, dedicated vogue. Karima El Demerdasch’s Dido was first-rate, from wild abandon – troublesome to think about Janet Baker or Jessye Norman on this manufacturing – by way of concern and unease to last tragedy. Achieved by way of the synthesis of phrases, music, and gesture that, put crudely, is operatic efficiency, this signalled not solely nice promise however nice achievement. I’m certain we will see and listen to extra from her. Aeneas is, particularly by comparability, a little bit of a thankless function, however Joshua Saunders made a great deal of this bemused conception. Manon Ogwen Parry’s Belinda and Julia Merino’s Sorceress have been each very nicely taken, as certainly have been the opposite, smaller roles, Tobias Campos Santiñaque’s Sailor a successful ‘boozy’ second within the highlight. James Henshaw’s conducting complemented the punk-folk conception of the staging, extra Metropolis Waites than Les Arts Florissants, not to mention English Chamber Orchestra. It is probably not how I hear it, however it’s hardly how I see it both, and efficiency ought to all the time prolong past ritual. There was, then, a lot to take pleasure in — and to puzzle over.
Mark Berry
