Billy Budd

Synopsis

ENO continues to refresh its Britten repertoire with this new production by the team behind ENO’s award-winning Peter Grimes.

A metaphysical battle between good and evil fought out aboard a British man-o'-war, Britten’s richly orchestrated all-male opera was originally commissioned for the 1951 Festival of Britain and is considered to be one of the composer’s finest works.

Starring Benedict Nelson (a ‘standout’ Demetrius in 2011’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Billy, Matthew Rose as Claggart, the malevolent master-at-arms, and Toby Spence (2010’s ‘world class’ Faust) as Vere, the morally conflicted captain, this new staging reunites the award-winning director-conductor partnership of David Alden and Edward Gardner from 2009’s Peter Grimes.

Our Review:

Keith McDonnell - 19 June 2012

David Alden’s new staging of Billy Budd for ENO is the company’s third. Tim Albery directed an evocative yet daring production in the early 90s, whilst Neil Armfield re-staged his WNO mise en scene at the Coliseum in 2005 with a starry cast including Simon Keenlyside in the title role and John Tomlinson as Claggart. With Andrew Litton in the pit, the overall effect was shattering. David Alden is one of the most exciting opera directors at large. His staging of Un Ballo in maschera in 1990 changed the way I thought about opera and this was followed by groundbreaking stagings of Tristan and Isolde, Ariodante, Jenufa  and Peter Grimes which remains for me the most perfect opera staging it’s ever been my privilege to witness.

Expectations therefore ran high for his first staging of Billy Budd as it reunited the same production team that had triumphed with Peter Grimes and ENO’s music dir...

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Latest User Review

handel21 - 9 July 2012:

Dreadful to play the pivotal sequence of 32 chords (reflecting the conflicts in Vere's mind) with the curtain down. It completely destroyed focus, and was a queue for coughing and some whispering. Neil Armfield's previous, and far superior, production didn't do that. The eruption of anger, and near-rebellion, of the crew at Budd's death went for little as it was swamped, and contained, by fascistic officers, who almost seemed like guards. And why did the sailors walk on, at one point, like prisoners, with bowed heads and hands on the shoulder of the man in front, like in a 19th century prison? Totally daft. A very disappointing production that missed many of the key dramatic scenes....

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