Boy, the crap that opera’s allowed to get away with. The mime, the mugging, the movement, the ideas. Richard Jones’s new production of Rodelinda at the English National Opera seemed to be channelling that heady mix of bullshit and banality that that signer had nailed so well at the Mandela funeral.
Theatre wouldn’t have got away with it. Daytime telly wouldn’t have got away with it. Even the Chuckle Brothers, I reckon, might have thought twice about some of these routines. But apparently it’s absolutely fine to stuff Handel’s Rodelinda with tripe. Especially as the music’s just about to hit the heights. Thus were several sung glories ruined by mindless, barely acted fannying about.
‘Here I am slamming a door!’ ‘Here I am opening a cupboard!’ ‘Here I am opening a box!’ Here I am flicking a switch!’ ‘Here I am with BLOOD ON MY HEAD!’
Matt Casey (Flavio) and Rebecca Evans (Rodelinda). Photo: Clive Barda
‘Here I am with a HAMMER!’:
John Mark Ainsley (Grimoaldo), Iestyn Davies (Bertarido) and Richard Burkhard (Garibaldo).
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