Leeds Grand Theatre – on tour until 1st July 2023
Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood
4****
Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) is an opera in three acts and based on his musical composition and Michel Carré and Eugène Cormon’s libretto. It was first premiered in 1863 in Paris. This production originally has been created as a ‘concert performance.’ However, for the performances in Leeds it is theatrically staged rather than a concert because of the closure and current refurbishment of Leeds Town Hall.
Set in a re-imagined coastal community in ancient Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) where many undertake the dangerous seasonal work of diving for pearls, the story is about two men, Nadir (Nico Darmanin) and Zurga (Quirijn de Lang), who are friends, and both happen to fall in love with a priestess, Leïla (Sophia Theodorides), and triggers strong emotions and broken promises which threatens their friendships and their existence. Leïla on the other hand has sworn an oath of chastity as a priestess and yet is torn with her love for Nadir.
Many would be familiar with the infamous famous duet, Au fond du temple saint (At the back of the holy temple), which is sung profoundly by Darmanin and de Lang and other melodic musical numbers. The numbers summarise the unravelling of the plot in the opera and vocally projects harmoniously, provocatively, and emotively by the cast including James Cresswell as Nourabad and Chorus of Opera North under the baton of Matthew Kofi Waldren, direction of Matthew Eberhardt and movement direction by Laïla Diallo.
The performance is supported by Joanna Parker’s stunning and contemporary set with life size pearls (in the first act) and Peter Mumford’s lighting. It works well with a videographic background, courtesy of Parker and Mumford, which makes the staging visually and atmospheric pleasing.
The Pearl Fishers is a production one can dive deep into for Bizet’s ingenious lyrical music and beautiful libretto which is sung beautifully by the characters and Chorus of Opera North. A well-done recommended production which is successfully staged theatrically, and no doubt will be the case for the concert performances for other venues on this tour.