Dido with extra dimension

Last weekend, the ancient legend of the tragic love between Dido, the Queen of Cartage, and the Trojan warrior Aeneas came to life again at Thailand Cultural Centre’s Small Hall.
Based on a Greek myth, Henry Purcell’s original opera “Dido and Aeneas” recounts the story Dido and her despair that ultimately leads to self-destruction. On learning that Aeneas has chosen to obey Jove’s command to set sail to Italy, Dido pines away with grief in front of her sister Belinda and her handmaiden. What she doesn’t know, though, is that there hasn’t been any real divine command. She and Aeneas have simply been fooled by the hateful Sorcerer, disguised as the divine messenger Mercury.
In the production by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and NUNi (Never Underestimate New Ideas), director Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon lived up to the company name and came up with an alternative interpretation. The prologue of the opera incorporated a section from Purcell’s semi-opera “King Arthur”, in which the chorus praises love’s beauty. The libretto “No joys are above the pleasure of love” that was hauntingly repeated again and again served as poignant ironic commentary as the story progressed towards Dido’s demise.
Also, in this version, Belinda was no longer merely Dido’s hanger-on, but secretly teamed up with the Sorcerer to destroy her sister. Dido, too, took more action and hanged herself in seclusion for others to later discover her lifeless body.
This new take on the tale, with added betrayal and isolation, rendered the emotionally charged story even more powerful. At the same time, the one-hour-15-minute production didn’t leave much room for character development, and I was left wondering over certain drastic actions that seemed short of motivation.
Under the baton of Israeli conductor Shalev Ad-el, who also played harpsichord for the production, BSO’s 12-piece chamber orchestra produced exquisite sounds. This live accompaniment was also extremely refreshing, as music transmitted to the audience’s ears “in the moment” is inarguably superior to the canned version more commonly used in local productions.
Ayano Schramm-Kimura as Dido, Liv Lange as the Second Woman, and Thai opera scene veteran Monique Klongtruadroke as Belinda sang beautifully, but seemed to forget from time to time that they were also acting. Their interactions were often awkward and bodies often stiff. The ensemble, too, could use more dance and acting lessons to help them develop all-round stage skills. They were fun and energetic in their improvised “evil” dance movements, but lacked grace in scenes where they needed it.
Thailand’s foremost baritone Saran Suebstantiwongse played Aeneas with a strong stage presence, but did not sound as impressive as I remembered him from other productions. It turned out to be Jonathan Truslow who, once again, stole NUNi’s show with his credible acting and commendable singing in the role of the Sorcerer, both when he camouflaged himself amongst the townspeople and when he led his minions in their wicked shenanigans.
What I liked most about this production was how opera, an art form usually associated with evening gowns and houses of lush red seats and golden decor, was made an intimate, accessible experience. A screen painted in shades of cream and red was placed at the front of the stage to make the hall seem even smaller, and most of the actions took place on the space right before the first row.
The performers also had multiple entrance and exit channels, so they could surround the audience with their presence and sounds from different directions as they moved to the central performance area. They performed in front of, behind and amidst the seats, as well as on the balcony, giving viewers a fuller theatre experience for the night.
This collaboration by BSO and NUNi made me realise that anyone can enjoy opera as long as the appreciation for music is there. Don’t be afraid. I rushed to one production straight from work in a plain shirt and shorts, and on top of that, with a sweaty face and very messy hair.