Ben Hamilton
November 11th, 2019

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Look Back in Anger ★★★★★☆

(Photo: that theatre group)

British director Helen Parry impressively helmed her troops to great effect – particularly in the scenes that demanded physicality. Regardless of whether it was a father bonding with his daughter, a man and woman platonically hugging, or two lovers lasciviously devouring one another, her assured hand was most noticeable throughout. While the five-member cast all gave performances worthy of mention, the night belonged to the two leads. Søren Højen had a truly compelling presence as Jimmy, while 22-year-old Alex Jespersen gave a soul-baring performance as his wife. (BH)

Snedronningen ★★★★☆☆

(Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen)

‘Snedronningen’ is the first opera of the Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen, who the Guardian recently hailed as one of the best music writers this century, and this was the worldwide premiere. Transformed into a chilling adult tale of the harsh realities of experience, similar to what Angela Carter does with traditional fairy tales, it is a mature, mesmerising and striking creation. However, the choice to make it minimalist and austere calibrates our emotional response and could lead to the feeling that the audience is too distant from the action. (BG)

Tristan og Isolde ★★★★★☆

(Photo: kglteater.dk)

This production is all about the orchestra. In Bayreuth, Wagner started a revolution in music, expanding considerably the size of the orchestra until it reached 100. Inspired by that vision, this production places the vast orchestra not in the pit but on the stage, where, producing a huge wave of sounds, it becomes the soul of the opera. All in all, the orchestra generates a sense of suspense that endures throughout, from the famous chord of the beginning, to the ‘Liebestod’, the song of love’s death, in which the two lovers look forward to a happy union in the life to come. (BG)