Last night, we went to Peter Grimes at ENO, a brilliant production, so darkly sinister, by David Alden, bringing out all the undertones of Britten. It is hard to believe that ENO might not exist soon, stabbed in the back by government underfunding. It seemed pretty full and particularly full of young people and a production different in feel from Deborah Warner’s recent production in Covent Garden. Of course, ENO has had its problems. But it felt as it is supposed to, making opera properly democratic.
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
We went last night (the final performance) and I particularly loved the colour palette deployed across the designs. It reminded me of the British Colour Council which Lynda Nead writes about in The Tiger in The Smoke. I’ve been on tours of the ENO props workshop at Trinity Buoy Wharf and the costume one in Burrell Street (both as part of London Craft week) so it was good to see their work on stage. I know that ENO has made a big attempt to get younger people to go to the opera but I have to say that, from my admittedly very particular perspective, it still seems very posh to me.
So glad you saw it ! Charles