Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes - English National Opera - London ColiseumPeter Grimes is the fisherman at the centre of the yarn, whose young apprentice dies at sea. The villagers have been looking for a reason to confirm his status as an outsider and immediately suspicion falls on him for wrongdoing. Declared accidental, the coroner’s verdict on the boy’s death leaves Grimes without an opportunity to fully clear his name in court and as a result he is shunned by the local community which jeopardises his longer term objective of becoming prosperous, marrying the widowed school mistress Ellen Orford, running a shop and gaining respectability. Gwynn Hughes Jones takes the lead with Elizabeth Llewellyn as Ellen, the woman who shows him kindness and offers help when all others shun him.
It has been suggested Britten’s reason for writing the piece was related to his own experiences as a victim of gossip — he and his partner opera singer Peter Pears had lived in America as conscientious objectors during the war years and on returning to England, endured a state of constant tension as a result. The piece may be perceived as part-morality play and also part-whodunnit? (although more fittingly, a what-happened?)
The Four Sea orchestral interludes which break the three acts, give the audience an opportunity to rest their eyes and bask in Britten’s beautiful and complex melodies brought to life under Martyn Brabbins’ baton. Most of the opera itself, shows human behaviour at the negative and disappointing end of the spectrum with ignorance, suspicion, judgement, mob mentality and squalid behaviour all on display (which gives the large chorus plenty of moments to engage).
Notable voices at ENO’s season opener were John Findon as firebrand Methodist minister Bob Boles, Clive Bayley as the coroner Mr Swallow and Elizabeth Llewellyn as Ellen Orford.
