Written On Skin

She's been directing opera for decades.

Amd you told us once that you attended the world premiere run in Aix.

My memory is that you recommended it as pretty much the greatest opera production of all time just before the Royal Opera's UK premiere run, having seen it at Aix during the world premiere run.

Of course it may be me who is confused, and the old post has vanished with the demise of the WhatsOnStage forum site.

Watch out for spiders!

Hmm. I don't think I got on with Written On Skin. The orchestration is interesting, the singing was excellent and the vocal lines were pretty good for a modern opera. Sadly I thought the libretto was utter pants. Neither emotionally nor intellectually involving, nor surreal enough to take off on in that way. It needs a competent dramaturg and someone who mercilessly removes the issue sign posting throughout the piece. At times it really felt as if someone threw in yet another issue 'Oh hey, let's mention, like, war, or like lack of water'.

The set is a two story house that takes up the entire stage, a bit similar to 2 of her NT production. The staging is very static, with little to no movement by the main characters but a few randoms moving about in slow motion in the upstairs part of the set. There is the obligatory view blocking table at the front of the set (though the effect is destroyed by the orchestra pit and the set being relatively far back on stage).