English Touring Opera - Manon Lescaut
Brave and challenging, English Touring Opera really do deliver 'Opera That Moves'.
Norwich Theatre
Following their bold and striking version of Stravinsky's 'The Rake's Progress' on Friday night, English Touring Opera really pushed the boat out on Saturday with a brave re-imagining of Puccini's first big operatic hit, 'Manon Lescaut'. Set in 19th century France, the story is based on Abbé Prévost's novel 'Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux, et de Manon Lescaut'. And, although Puccini originally opted for an Italian libretto, ETO director Jude Christian has instead written her own brand new libretto, in English, one that completely re-examines the relationship between the ambitious and materialistic Manon and her devoted lover, the Chevalier Des Grieux, and thus drawing attention to the way that women continue to be seen and judged, even to this day.
Christian's vision of Manon Lescaut is startlingly different from almost any other production that has preceded it, motif heavy right from the start with its drenching from a water cooler bottle of a female member of the ensemble. The set for Act 1 is an homogenised mixture of swimming pool and shower room, complete with an array of the aforementioned water coolers. In Act 2, Manon is placed in a luxuriant pink bathroom, decorated with Koons-like golden animal figurines. Water and wealth become a twin driving force, ironically leading to Manon's own demise, when she dies of thirst in Act 4, amidst an arid, golden desert, somewhere in Louisiana.
Jenny Stafford is spectacular as Manon, extracting every ounce of self-obsessed passion from her soaring arias. Gareth Dafydd Morris earns our sympathy as her loyal-to-the-end lover, whilst the wealthy Geronte matches the pinkness of the set as he becomes both menacing and diabolic on discovering Manon's indiscretions, and turns her in to the authorities.
The end, when it comes, is wrought with emotion, and the final message – that our largely patriarchal society continues to treat women like pleasure objects, yet will destroy them if they dare to step out of line, is cleverly observed throughout via a member of the ensemble who intriguingly falls asleep at her computer desk in Act 1, and watches the entire drama unfold.
Brave and challenging, English Touring Opera continues to bring exceptional and ground-breaking productions to Norwich Theatre Royal, and whilst some will claim that this production of 'Manon Lescaut' was more challenging than most, I relished its boldness and its mission statement of intent. English Touring Opera really do deliver 'Opera That Moves'.
