Review: Britten: Death in Venice, Grand Theatre, Leeds

The story tells of the ageing novelist, Aschenbach, who fears his inspiration is drying up, prompting him to take a relaxing holiday in Venice. There he sees the young Tadzio with his family, and is attracted to him as he watches him playing in a bathing costume with other boys and girls on the beach. Eventually, amid an outbreak of cholera, the boy and his family hurriedly leave as Aschenbach dies slumped into his chair.

Visually the production, from the legendary Yoshi Oida, is one of great beauty, the elegant costumes building the story into the time of the French Impressionist painters. With its inventiveness and potency, this superb production perfectly creates the intensity and disturbing atmosphere with water and decking to suggest the Venice canals.

For Alan Oke, in his long and taxing leading role, the evening was an unqualified triumph, the long high-lying passages and the lyric arias requiring that very special voice that Britten had envisaged.

He is on stage throughout as the very long cast list – mostly taken by Opera North’s chorus – perform their cameo roles around him, a group of young dancers vividly bring to life the beach scenes.

With a huge percussion section used to fashion subtle colours, the orchestra, with their conductor, Richard Farnes, share in one of the company’s greatest achievements. There is a further performance tonight.