BREMF – Powerplay: Machinations at the Paris Opera

A simple black back-drop turned St George’s into a creditable Baroque theatre in which a disembodied, sardonic cupid (David Timson) recounted the vicissitudes and hazards of the Paris Opéra from Lully to Rameau. Alison Bury led the BREMF Players and Le Jardin Secret instrumentalist through arias and dances that illustrated the sharp changes of direction in French taste through the 18th Century. Without the prompting of Clare Norburn’s well-researched script I wouldn’t have appreciated the disruption caused by Rameau’s beautiful, but Italianate, themes. Elizabeth Dobbin (soprano) sang the plaints and curses while Annabelle Blanc danced period reconstructions of Parisian ballet.

St George’s Church, 8 November 2014
Rating:
Andrew Connal