Entertainment Review: "The Flying Dutchman" / "Der Fliegende Hollander" by Richard Wagner

Welsh National Opera

Millenium Centre, Cardiff

Dir: David Poutney

Cond: Carlo Rizzi

The Flying Dutchman is the story of a Dutch sailor who, while trying to round Cape Horn during a storm, vows that he will succeed even if it takes until Judgement Day. Unfortunately the Devil takes him at his word and curses both him and his crew with immortality until the Dutchman can find a woman who is faithful unto death to release him from the curse. Wagner's opera recounts the end of the Dutchman's quest.

I have been a fan of Welsh National Opera for nearly 20 years and have seen over 50 of their productions. This is easily the worst. (I should add that I am also a huge fan of Wagner). How a company of WNO's reputation and a director of David Poutney's standing can produce such pretentious drivel is utterly beyond me. The decision to interpret the opera in psychological terms is not in itself a problem. When this is done well the result can be very good as shown by the Bayreuth production from 1985 . Unfortunately Poutney has created an unmitigated disaster. So what went wrong? I have a little list...

First, the production design. Eschewing a conventional set the production relies on techniques from experimental theatre, most notably two giant video screens playing a constant stream of images . The problem is that these images distract the viewer's attention from the singers and make it look as though they are trapped in a sub-standard remake of "Videodrome". The physical elements that exist, such as a doorway, have a disturbing tendency to drift across the stage while the singers run around after them! The costumes are also dreadful. The Dutchman looks like a Goth convict and all of Senta's friends transform into hideous Mary Quant clones while the Dutchman's crew turn out as astronauts in a desperate attempt to look post-Modern.

Next, the performances. Bryn Terfel, who plays the Dutchman, is a fine operatic actor with an increasing international reputation. In this production however he is dreadful. He spends most of his time either standing listlessly or wandering around aimlessly while looking slightly concussed, as though he is having a bad dream and wishing it would end. His central scene with Senta is a particular low point. They are supposed to be falling in love but are placed on opposite sides of the stage where they appear to be holding two separate conversations with their imaginary friends. When they finally embrace it is impossible to believe in their feelings for each other. Most of the performers seem to exist in an emotional vacuum, which is totally inappropriate in a romantic drama. The opera only works if we care about these characters and they don't even seem to care about each other.

It is rare to find an opera where the chorus is better than the principals but that is the case here. They inject real life into the opening of the final scene where they play the Dutchman's crew carousing the night away. This scene was almost the highlight of the production for me but then Poutney ruins it by turning it into a particularly nasty mass rape. The climax of this scene, where spacesuits with illuminated face-plates are dangled from the flies like a bunch of techno-angels, is probably the cheesiest moment in WNO's history.

The audience seemed to sense that something was wrong as they sat in stunned silence with none of the sporadic applause you usually get at the good bits. There wasn't even an interval to relieve the horror.

The only thing that redeems this production in my eyes is the quality of the musical performance. The orchestra is excellent and all of the singers are in fine voice. It is not their fault if they are badly directed, after all. This is in fact a good production to listen to, because then you are not distracted by the appalling visuals. Hopefully it will be released on CD.

I get the feeling that with their move to the Millenium Centre WNO has suddenly got a load of new toys to play with and don't really know what to do with any of them. Ironically this is a production which could not have been staged at the New Theatre. On this evidence the sooner they move back there the better.