The opening moments of Dido and Aeneas. Photograph: David Levene
The splashy underwater scene that opens Sasha Waltz's Dido and Aeneas is as beautiful as the photos suggest. It is certainly not a gimmick, but a logical prelude to the scenario of Purcell's opera. And yet it does set the tone for a production that feels as though time and money has gone into the staging of elaborate effects, rather than into shaping a response to the music or the invention of serious choreographic expression. Berlin offers its artists enviably generous budgets, but this looks like a production that has been hijacked by too much cash.
· Last night, Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas was staged in spectacular style at Sadler's Wells, London. Check out our picture gallery here.
