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Opera Explores Black British Experience with Raw Emotion
11 Sep
Summary
- Opera explores the Black British experience through a cousin's tragic story.
- Libretto blends everyday language with poetic arabesques.
- Gamba Cole's performance as Adjani is a standout element.
A new opera, "Our Eyes Looking for God," created in 2020, explores the Black British experience through the tragic story of two cousins, Adjani and Kamal. The work, with a libretto by April Koyejo-Audiger and music by Renell Shaw, is inspired by personal grief and global racial unrest.
The narrative intertwines everyday conversations with poetic language, while the score shifts between rap, reggae, and operatic styles. Music director Luke Bacchus leads a band that includes Meera Raja on cello and Charlie Laffer on electric guitar.
Amanda Mascarenhas's set design transforms a streetlamp and car into a symbolic playground for the characters. Gamba Cole shines as Adjani, demonstrating charisma and emotional depth, while Themba Mvula's portrayal of Kamal is noted as more rigid.
"Our Eyes Looking for God" captures operatic qualities like fluidity and grand gestures, functioning as "theatre-plus." It uses music's capacity for emotional expression but is described as missing a full commitment or ultimate risk-taking element.
