Based upon the fantastical tales of the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann, Offenbach’s operatic swansong boasts such hit numbers as the clockwork-driven ‘Doll’s Song’ and the seductively swooning ‘Barcarolle’.

With its phantasmagorical blurring of dreams and reality, The Tales of Hoffmann is perfectly suited to the imagination of director Richard Jones, back at ENO after his Olivier Award-nominated Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci in 2008. Alongside Barry Banks as the lovelorn hero, young American soprano Georgia Jarman sings all three of Hoffmann’s lost loves – a feat few sopranos today can match.

The story is three stories in one, hopelessly besotted with a flighty prima donna, the poet Hoffmann drunkenly recalls the three loves of his life: Olympia, a mechanical doll; Antonia, a sick young singer; and Giulietta, a Venetian whore who stole his reflection and his soul.

Barry Banks as Hoffmann brought his voice to bear on the sometimes frivolous music and made him an altogether more believable Hoffman, his rage, embarrassment and anger audible in his voice and he brought conviction to the development and progression of Hoffman’s loves.


With the debut performance of American soprano Georgia Jarman as Olympia/Antonia/Giulietta/Stella this use of one singer to link all parts was a perfect piece of thought and enabled the progress of Hoffman to have a simple and easy to follow edge of feminine obsession. Her voice was superb, controlled, thrilling and showed her talent in the coloratura precision of Olympia’s aria “Les oiseaux dans la charmille” and also her wonderful humorous ability, great fun and great singing too.  She was also pretty spectacular crumping on down as Giulietta, this is one cool lady with one great voice.

Clive Bayley’s procession of dark and nasty villains was wonderful, his voice bringing all the menace and ironic cynicism to bear on these sometime hammed up parts, funny and profound he was a joy.

British mezzo Christine Rice as Nicklausse & muse was the real star of this show though, she continues to show the control and command of a singer at the top of her game, every time she walks on stage I shiver with delight and when her voice starts to climb, she is simply divine.


Special mention for Simon Butteriss who’s Cochenille kept me giggling when ever s/he was on stage, a perfect piece of drag queen on the ENO stage, what next? Great fun and perfect comic timing too.

Richard Jones inspired and slightly creepy psychedelic creation is a joy to behold, thematically sound with  a clear direction and purpose it’s the best Hoffman I’ve seen and delighted me in a way that this sometimes whimsical and frothy opera doesn’t.  The set from Giles Cadel works well and adds depth and colour to the tales and the costumes from Buki Shiff  just add another layer of surreal delight; the chorus were precise and looked a treat. This is opera as magical realism and I ache for them to work on an Angela Carter Opera….


There’s no real fear here though, even thought death, murder and threat riddles this opera. The darkness is more hinted and suggested and done in a more cartoon way than the real threat I’ve felt before, but this is a small criticism to what is all on all a great production.  A joy and with the best cast of singers this season certainly one to book now and see.

A treat and the ENO at it’s very best, thrilling, astonishing singing, a wonder to look at and deeply odd, but in the best possible way.

Go, go, go.

ENO
London Coliseum
St Martins Lane
London

Thu 16 Feb, Sat 18 ,Thu 23 , Wed 29 , Fri 02 Mar , Tue 06 Mar , Thu 08 Mar , Sat 10 Mar

For more info or to book tickets here: