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| Photo
by Jeff Busby for Opera |
Benjamin
Britten’s gorgeous orchestrations, shuffled-around scenes, and sung Shakespeare
might sound a bit of an unlikely combination, but when set upon Catherine
Martin’s sumptuous turn-of-the-century Indian Raj set, it seems as though it
was always meant to be. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, there were brilliant colours
– reds, pinks, yellows, blues, oranges, lush greens – enough richly coloured
silks, embroidered fabrics, sun-blasted linen and British pomp to set the scene
perfectly, and more than enough magic to swoon over. Without his dazzling
cinematic tricks, Luhrmann’s direction (here rehearsed by Julie Edmunson and
choreographer Belynda Buck) is clear, theatrical, and perfectly attuned to both
his aesthetic vision and the demands of the piece, and I am certain this is one
of the best ‘Dreams’ I have ever seen.
