Arts Council England won itself many new enemies when, in 2022, it announced that, for English National Opera to keep its £12million grant, it would have to move to Manchester – as as if to say, “We’ve got a spare opera company; why don’t you have it?”. All in the name of “levelling up”.
After much wrangling, including interventions both pro and con from Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, a compromise has emerged: while moving its base to Salford, ENO will maintain a slimmed-down programme at its London home, the Coliseum. Some productions will be shared between Salford and London; the first of these opened last night with Antony McDonald’s semi-staging of Benjamin’s Britten third opera, Albert Herring, premiered in 1947.
It’s in a somewhat lighter register than its predecessors, Peter Grimes and The Rape of Lucretia. Like Grimes, its setting is Britten’s native Suffolk: in the imaginary town of Loxford, Lady Billows is the community’s self-appointed moral watchdog, charged with choosing the annual May Queen. As there are simply no young women virtuous enough to take the role, the villagers elect a May King instead: Albert Herring, still in thrall to his mother and as yet untainted by the joys of love, sex and booze. Young Sid, the butcher’s assistant, is more worldly-wise; he and his girlfriend Nancy pull a prank on Albert, spiking his drink. Cue high jinks as Albert briefly goes missing under the influence.
Picture it as a Carry On film, Hattie Jacques playing Lady Billows, Joan Sims as Nancy, Sid James, of course, as Sid. McDonald doesn’t go quite that far, but the production stands up well - for the most part. It’s not clear (to me, at least) why he sets the action in what appears to be a radio (possibly TV) studio, with an extra seated at the side of the stage providing some sound effects and occasionally holding up a board demanding “Applause” from the audience.
Supernumeraries apart, costumes belong approximately to the 1940s. If the singing is more about character than bel canto, the whole cast attacks the comic exaggeration with real vigour. As Albert, Caspar Singh displays an attractively light tenor, while Dan D’Souza makes Sid an almost agreeable scoundrel. In minor roles, two student singers and one schoolboy – Abigail Sinclair, Natasha Oldbury and Henry Karp – light up proceedings every time they scamper onto the stage.
ENO has recently faced many financial challenges, often overcoming them with determination and ingenuity. Whether its “twin city” existence will usher in a new era remains to be seen, but this small-scale show packs a genuine punch.
At the London Coliseum, Thursday; at Lyric Theatre Salford, October 21 and 22; eno.org
