Birmingham Rep; V&A, London
Peter Eötvös’s tragicomic opera about a Chinese immigrant worker cuts to the quick in Music Theatre Wales’s visceral production. At the V&A, hold on to your headphones…
At first sight a jaunty skit on life in a Chinese restaurant – table 11 wants a No 6 with peanut sauce – The Golden Dragon unfurls into a harrowing tale of immigration and its consequences. It could hardly be more topical. The Hungarian composer-conductor Peter Eötvös (born 1944) began work on this 90-minute piece in 2013. The refugee issue had suddenly escalated. (Theresa May, then home secretary, memorably announced a bill that would “create a really hostile environment for illegal migrants”.)
By the time of its UK premiere by Music Theatre Wales in Buxton last year, the crisis dominated European politics. This chamber opera, with a cast of five and a 16-strong instrumental ensemble, goes to the heart of the matter. Now MTW is taking it on tour, culminating in a performance at Hackney Empire on 31 October. The nimble, compact production by the company’s co-founder, Michael McCarthy, is superbly conducted by Geoffrey Paterson and expertly performed by all.
Source: Opera News from the UK Guardian
