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Carmen's Fire Ignites Franco's Spain
30 Oct
Summary
- Ginger Costa-Jackson delivers a powerful and elemental Carmen.
- The production relocates Bizet's opera to Franco's Spain.
- Paolo Fantin's sets and Alessandro Carletti's lighting create a claustrophobic mood.
The Royal Opera House presents a revival of Damiano Michieletto's 2024 staging of Carmen, featuring Ginger Costa-Jackson in the titular role. This production boldly reimagines the opera by setting it in Franco's Spain, a decision that imbues the narrative with a palpable sense of oppressive societal control and simmering rebellion.
Paolo Fantin's stage design features confining, Hopper-esque buildings, complemented by Alessandro Carletti's torrid lighting, collectively amplifying the claustrophobic atmosphere. Despite some critique of Carla Teti's colourful 1970s costumes, the overall aesthetic effectively captures the gritty vibe of the era. The staging explores themes of emotional immaturity and boredom as catalysts for tragedy.
While the production has minor flaws, such as an overused symbolic mother figure and a distracting parade of children, the core performances are compelling. Ginger Costa-Jackson's Carmen is a force of nature, described as an elemental emotional powder keg. Russell Thomas delivers a thrilling performance as Don José, particularly in the final scene. Adriana González and Alexander Vinogradov also provide vocal appeal as Micaëla and the toreador, respectively. Sesto Quatrini's conducting grows bolder throughout the evening.
