Austerity Britten isn't much fun in depressing opera Billy Budd

BILLY BUDD (English National Opera, London Coliseum)

Verdict: Leaves a sinking feeling

Rating: 2 Star Rating

Forget about Syria, Greece, the euro and the economy. If you want to be really depressed, go to this production of Benjamin Britten’s all-male naval opera.

I must compliment the ENO on its austerity. The sets are clearly salvaged from a scrapyard — part of a redundant B&Q warehouse serves for a ship; a slab of old black tat with some railing attached is raised or lowered to lend variety, and a large chunk of boiler is wheeled on occasionally. 

Drowned out: Benedict Nelson's Billy Budd is lost among the gloom in the Benjamin Britten production at the London Coliseum

Drowned out: Benedict Nelson's Billy Budd is lost among the gloom in the Benjamin Britten production at the London Coliseum

The captain’s cabin is lined with garden centre decking, and someone has popped down to a charity shop for a few sticks of furniture.

The costumes imply a Nazi death camp or a Soviet gulag — all modern opera productions have to be set in one or the other. From the officers’ hats, I infer the Soviet model.

The lighting seems designed to economise on electricity, too. Inevitably, the unrelievedly drear atmosphere affects the musical side.

Edward Gardner gets good playing from the orchestra but often conducts too slowly. Britten’s carefully graded degrees of musical light and shade go for nothing.

The stand-out performance is Kim Begley’s tortured Captain Vere, sung with beautiful diction and penetrating characterisation. The villainous Claggart is given a one-dimensional portrayal by Matthew Rose.

The quality of Benedict Nelson’s Billy is a little lost among the gloom, and several stalwart supporting singers are equally swamped, too.