Das Rheingold review

The Freemasons’ Hall, a 1933 Art Deco landmark, has played host to London Fashion Week and has served as the backdrop for numerous TV shows and films. The hall’s Grand Temple is imposing, and the detailed decoration on the walls and ceiling conjure up ancient mysteries. It’s a suitable setting for Regents Opera’s admirable new production of Das Rheingold, with its mythic tale of gods, giants and gold.

But this is not spears-and-helmets Wagner. Director Caroline Staunton, currently assisting Dmitri Tcherniakov on Der Ring at the Staatsoper Berlin, clears out the clutter and extracts the narrative gold at the opera’s heart. In dispensing with tradition, the production aims to be of our time, yet timeless. This approach mostly works and yields moments of magic that are conjured up with the assistance of a strong cast of singers.

The narrow Grand Temple stage resembles a fashion-show runway. It is surrounded on three sides by audience seating, and on the fourth by the musicians on an elevated platform. Isabella van Braeckel’s design features white plinths displaying art objects, with colourful shabby-chic costumes, and fine silk robes for Wotan.

We first encounter the three Rhinemaidens on this art gallery-like set, their damp hair the only visual reminder, besides a watery projection on the ceiling, of the usual River Rhine setting. Stranded on land, they flit about the stage to escape the lascivious attentions of Alberich (Oliver Gibbs, excellent as this most scheming of characters), who steals the magical Rhinegold and flees. Alberich forces the hapless Mime (a spirited Holden Madagame) to fashion the gold into a ring and a helmet that will give him the powers of the gods.

As Wotan, the chief of the gods, the richly voiced Keel Watson exudes an authority that brooks no dissent, even from his wife Fricka (an endearing Ingeborg Børch). Payment has fallen due for the fortress built for the gods by the quarrelsome giants Fafner and Fasolt (fine characterisations by Craig Lemont Walters and Henry Grant Kerswell). They insist on payment in the form of the goddess Freia (solid work from Charlotte Richardson). In desperation, Wotan turns to the cunning of the half-god Loge, a scene-stealing James Schouten who sports sunglasses and attitude. In the final scene, Mae Heydorn is affecting as Erda, the Earth goddess, who delivers a stark warning to the gods.

Conductor Ben Woodward reduces the 90-piece Wagner score into one suitable for an 18-person orchestra. Woodward wisely takes the decision to supplement the reduced forces with the Grand Temple’s organ, played by Paul Plummer. The organ’s majestic rumblings evoke the power of the gods, most effectively as they make their way to their new home, Valhalla.

Das Rheingold is the promising first instalment of the Regents Opera’s planned Ring cycle. There are still kinks to be worked out with the Grand Temple as an opera venue – mustering the audience up flights of stairs and hallways took extra time on opening night – but it is most assuredly worth it. Magic Flute, anyone?