Ivan Hewett

Garsington Opera’s staging of Gerald Barry’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest replaces Wilde’s refined comedy with exaggerated grotesquerie, marked by musical distortions and chaotic visual elements. Strong performances, including Jennifer France’s standout singing and the Philharmonia’s precise playing under Douglas Boyd, provide highlights, but the production’s relentless excess ultimately overwhelms its humor and emotional impact.

Grange Park Opera launches its four-year staging of Wagner’s Ring cycle with an imaginative and emotionally nuanced Das Rheingold. Charlie Edwards’s production uses inventive visual effects and character portrayals to reveal shifting motivations among gods and mortals, while the orchestra under Harry Sever delivers a well-shaped performance despite uneven vocal contributions. The staging emphasizes transformation, moral ambiguity, and foreshadowing of the saga to come as Erda’s warning sets the stage for the next installment.