Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini, English Touring Opera, Hackney Empire, London E8, then touring till 28 May

2✩✩ Review: Clare Colvin.

“Tragedy as a surreal nightmare.”

English Touring Opera has done great work over the years in transporting opera to areas of England normally starved of the art form. ETO will be on the road between February and May, bringing to sixteen far-flung venues two different operas of which I saw Puccini’s 1893 tragedy Manon Lescaut, less frequently performed than the composer’s later hits, but still worth catching from time to time.

Sadly, excellent singing by the cast, led by rising soprano Jenny Stafford in the title role and tenor Gareth Dafydd Morris as her feckless cavalier Des Grieux, plus finely orchestrated conducting from Gerry Cornelius in the pit, are undermined by director Jude Christian’s baffling mash-up on stage where she has re-written the original libretto to suit her directorial concept of the original story of Manon by L’Abbe le Prévost as a “surreal nightmare.” .

​In what resembles a blue-tiled swimming pool, barrels of drinking water are lined against the walls or being splashed over people’s heads in boisterous water games. Pranksters in vibrant commedia dell’arte costumes are joined by the young chevalier Des Grieux, who’s on the lookout for romance. The vulnerable young Manon, being escorted to a convent by her brother Lescaut (Aidan Edwards), is already attracting attention. Lescaut decides to sell her to Geronte, a debauched old nobleman he’s met on the journey, but Des Grieux is forewarned and elopes instead with Manon, taking the coach Geronte had reserved for the abduction.

​In the second act Manon is passionately in love with Des Grieux but takes up with Geronte who showers her with jewellery, before again succumbing to her first love. She can’t resist delaying to load up with the jewellery, but is arrested when Geronte returns with the police. From there it’s the road to oblivion. Manon is clapped into jail with other convicted prostitutes and takes the walk of shame onto a prison ship bound for America. Des Grieux bribes the prison guard to let him on board for the final scene where in the desert of Louisiana Manon dies of thirst in her lover’s arms. Puccini’s passionate score is effective at this point, though one feels moved mainly despite the truly awful clingfilm-style frock inflicted on the hapless heroine. This staging is no friend to Manon or Puccini or to the audience either.

Conductor Gerry Cornelius; Director & Librettist Jude Christian; Designer Charlotte Henery; Lighting Designer Ben Ormerod; Lighting Designer Ben Ormerod; Assistant Conductor Michael Papadopoulos; Assistant and Staff Director Rachel Wise; production pictures Craig Fuller.

Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress at Hackney Empire, Mare Street London on Saturday 2 March. 020 8985 2424 hackneyempire.co.uk then nationwide tour to 28 May Englishtouringopera.org.uk