Review by Helen Scott
Set among a whirl of colourful skirts, dancing gypsies and machismo toreadors, Carmen is known for its seductiveness, archetypal femme fatale, passion, jealousy, and betrayal. Ellen Kent is known for her resplendent sets, bold ideas and vibrant productions. So the combination of the two led to a larger-than-life evening’s entertainment, with a real sense of drama at its core.
Bizet’s melodies in this his last stage work are some of the most recognisable in opera, and from the familiar overture and curtains opening on beautifully-lit set of 1820s Seville, the audience were welcomed into a traditional retelling of the famous opera. Act I took a little time to get going - other than a fun, well-choreographed cigarette girls fight scene, the passions of this opera felt a little muted. However during Act II the show turned up the heat. After a wonderful and charismatic performance from the toreador (Racovita Petru) which had the crowd audibly impressed, a scene played out between the two would-be lovers Carmen (Irina Sproglis) and Don José (Sorin Lupu) in which dance, seduction and contradictory ultimatums set the characters on a path of obsession and incompatibility. In an opera so full of choruses and gypsies and cymbals, it was daringly touching to play this scene out so intimately, front and centre stage, and it was testament to Sproglis and Lupu’s strengths as actors that this scene evoked a sense of drama that held the audience captive until the final bitter moments of the opera.
In Irina Sproglis we find a Carmen who is enticing and vivacious, and just aloof enough to turn the whole of Seville wild with seeking her attentions. With a stunning and fierce lower register, she was masterfully on top of both the playfulness and the power in Bizet’s writing for the mezzo-soprano role.
As the musical and dramatic tensions built to a climax in the final act, Carmen’s spirit remained strong right to the end as she ran, defiant in life, towards her lover and his knife. The shocking murder of Carmen by a jealous lover is barbaric and arcane, and yet, considering that the opera was written nearly 150 years ago and the original source material pre-dates that, Kent proves it is still possible to portray the characters and events in a way which resonates with contemporary viewers. Domestic violence is a very prevalent atrocity still today, and the artistic direction of tonight’s production had the audience look on at male predatory behaviour: in Act I where Micaela is trapped by a threatening wall of soldiers; in the final scene where Carmen makes repeated escape attempts away from her harasser, only to be forcibly dragged back onstage as she is physically overpowered by him. We are still made uncomfortable by this because it still happens today. Ellen Kent’s production keeps the tale of Carmen alive and - crucially - keeps it relatable.
The musicians and cast for tonight’s production are members of the Ukrainian National Municipal Opera, Kyiv, featuring members of the Odessa Opera as well as international soloists from across Eastern Europe. During the bows, the cast held the Ukrainian flag and sang the national anthem to an emotional and supportive Oxford audience. This evening was a much-needed reminder that emotions and stories played out on stage have the capacity to travel across time and space, and that opera’s power lies in its ability to portray and communicate a vast array of human experience.
Ellen Kent Productions are continuing their acclaimed tour of Carmen, Tosca and Madama Butterfly in theatres across the UK and Ireland, until May.