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Jean Cocteau’s 1928 The Human Voice has had a little bit of a renaissance in recent times. During lockdown, Pedro Almodóvar made his first English language film, a model starring Tilda Swinton. Earlier this yr, Ivo van Hove directed Ruth Wilson in a brand new model on the Pinter Theatre. Back in 1958 and with the approval and help of Cocteau, Francis Poulenc turned it into a brief opera; La Voix Humaine. Charing Cross Theatre now presents this for 5 performances solely, starring soprano Natalia Lemercier. The good set, by Andreas Skourtis, is straightforward, with a piano and sofa surrounded by…
Rating
Ok
This revival of a 1958 opera feels a misplaced alternative to introduce the style to a brand new viewers.
Jean Cocteau’s 1928 The Human Voice has had a little bit of a renaissance in recent times. During lockdown, Pedro Almodóvar made his first English language film, a model starring Tilda Swinton. Earlier this yr, Ivo van Hove directed Ruth Wilson in a brand new model on the Pinter Theatre. Back in 1958 and with the approval and help of Cocteau, Francis Poulenc turned it into a brief opera; La Voix Humaine. Charing Cross Theatre now presents this for 5 performances solely, starring soprano Natalia Lemercier.
The good set, by Andreas Skourtis, is straightforward, with a piano and sofa surrounded by curtains. We start with two ladies mendacity on the ground, one will get up and strikes to the piano (Elspeth Wilkes), and the opposite (Lemercier) goes to the phone the place she speaks to her departed lover who is because of marry one other lady inside the subsequent day. Both are dressed the identical in matching pyjamas and matching hairstyles, seemingly to counsel they’re the identical character, the spurned lady.
Lemercier is accompanied on the piano by Wilkes and for a quick second by Kevin Giles on clarinet. Everything is so very restrained it’s virtually dry. That’s not a touch upon the expertise however on how this manufacturing is delivered. It doesn’t assist that they’ve chosen to stay with the unique, previous dial cellphone and so Lemercier spends virtually all of her time with this held up. The Human Voice is a few lady who’s deserted by her lover and is determined. It is ripe for an explosion, for stirring ardour however right here it simply… is.
The blurb describes the manufacturing as “an overwhelming account of love, and love’s ending” and that’s what this could attain, with operatic energy. Instead it falls flat, missing in rigidity. It leaves a not insignificant chunk of the viewers disengaged and even a few individuals departing by way of the set’s curtain. In seeing this manufacturing I used to be eager to discover what opera can provide, however all through I simply stored ready for it to start. It’s solely in small moments the place Lemercier is belting it out, sturdy, highly effective and operatic that I felt any nice reference to the narrative. This appears like a misplaced alternative and I left dissatisfied.
Director: Alejandro Bonatto
Musical Director / Pianist: Elspeth Wilkes
The Human Voice performs at Charing Cross Theatre till 30 December. Further data and bookings may be discovered right here.
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