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The Herald Scotland

EIF: There was so much to applaud at Orpheus and Eurydice

Edinburgh Playhouse In the final moments of this sensational production of Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice there was a palpable sense of an audience desperate to express its acclaim. That was a lot of tension, because sell-out shows at the vast Edinburgh Playhouse must make this one of the biggest box-office hits in the history of operas at the Edinburgh International Festival. Sure enough, the place erupted at the closing black-out, and the company could have taken many more curtain-calls than they chose to – there was quite simply so much to applaud. Read More: Director Yaron Lifschitz and his Circa company of acrobats and trapeze artists are familiar from their Fringe performances, where the show Wunderkammer won a Herald Angel award in 2012, and their physical theatre skills, daring and dangerous but also superbly choreographed by Bridie Cooper in partnership with the director and performers, are the unique selling point of the show. But the gasps occasioned by Eurydice's rope swing descent to the Underworld or the pyramids of bodies collapsing as an expression of Orpheus's fragmented mind are just one element of the production. Singularly, there is counter-tenor Iestyn Davies as that tortured soul, onstage throughout, often boldly part of the action, and delivering a huge vocal role with power and passion. Soprano Samantha Clarke, in the dual role of Eurydice and a mischievous Amor, is just as impressive. The rest of the singing is in the hands of the chorus of Scottish Opera, immaculately prepared by Susannah Wapshott and also integral to the movement and stage management of the show, while the company's technicians have realised Lifschitz's spare, elegant design. In the pit, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra follows its own Mozart opera-in-concert triumph on Saturday with exemplary playing under conductor and director of the Academy of Ancient Music Lawrence Cummings. Gluck's score sits at a pivotal point in the history of opera and every detail of it was crystal clear from these musicians. That precision was also present in the costuming and in the superb dissolving surtitles with which the performers interacted as often as with the sung words. In bringing all these talents together – rather than importing an entire production with its performing company – the Festival has surely created a sustainable model for the future, as well as giving those lucky enough to have a ticket the memory that will define this year's event in the years to come. For festival tickets see here