Gloriana, Covent Garden - opera review

Benjamin Britten wrote Gloriana for the Queen's 1953 coronation but at its Covent Garden premiere the nobs and toffs present took against it.

The opera soon disappeared from the Royal Opera's repertoire, no doubt because Britten and his librettist William Plomer had provided not an empty celebration but a nuanced drama about the public duties and private affections of Elizabeth I.

Still, there are problems. Plomer's quasi-archaic text is often cumbersome while Britten's music, with its courtly dances, masques and bardic ballads, has its share of hey-nonny-nonnery. Richard Jones's new production strips away the Tudorbethan veneer, taking us back to 1953. Within Ultz’s witty sets, a village hall pageant unfolds. At its centre are Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex, whose relationship deteriorates from teasing affection to bitter enmity.

To begin with, Britten observes their interplay with sly amusement, which Jones echoes. Then Elizabeth, no longer an Alice-in-Wonderland queen, becomes a fully tragic figure. As Elizabeth, Susan Bullock finds her emotional range, while Toby Spence’s Essex suggests the mix of vulnerability and naked ambition that sends him to the scaffold. Paul Daniel ensures the orchestra provides solid support. For all its faults, Gloriana deserves this richly imaginative revival.

Until July 6 (020 7304 4000, roh.org.uk)