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| St James Theatre, Wellington |
Producing The Flying
Dutchman is quite
an undertaking for a recently formed opera company but Wagner's 200th
birthday has inspired the New Zealand Opera to do just that.
On Wednesday when I saw the show
the St James Theatre in Wellington was packed. Orla Boylan (Senta)
and Peter Auty (Erik) delivered their demanding roles with aplomb and
Shaun Dixon, originally from tiny Tokoroa,was a charming bright
voiced Steersman. During the first half, produced in a minimalist but
clever setting which augmented the voices, the evening looked as if
it would be a winner.
But then came the
chorus scenes and suddenly we were no longer with a group of
Norwegian sailors but at a 1950s drunken Antipodean student party
with students vomiting and fighting and more beer and chips thrown
around the stage than you'd find at the most drunken brawl. The
Director was Matthew Lutton from Australia. His credits list a couple
of directing roles in Germany and perhaps he took his regie-theatre
ideas from there. How pleased I shall be when an opera director is
required to know and understand the music and it's cultural setting.
Singers and conductors are required to have this knowledge … why
not directors?
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