To be or not to be: Hamlet returns to the Buxton International Festival

Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet has a special place in the history of the Buxton International Festival. A 1980 production, in only its second season, by founder Malcolm Fraser was a huge artistic success, establishing the festival’s USP of resurrecting neglected operas. It helped restore Hamlet’s place in the repertoire and was a star vehicle for the young English baritone taking on the title role, Thomas Allen. Now, 45 years later, Buxton stages Hamlet once more, this time in a gripping production by Jack Furness.

As in his recent Queen of Spades at Garsington, Furness does gloomy minimalism really well. His dark, psychological staging is stylish without being cluttered, allowing the action to flow. Best of all, Furness trusts the music – the closet scene where Hamlet confronts Gertrude is all the more powerful for its stillness.

The setting is modern and oppressive. Sami Fendall’s black staircase set is populated by a throne, an arras and, finally, reed beds for Ophélie’s mad scene. The appearance of the ghost of Hamlet’s father is masterfully done, in silhouette, backlit (Jake Wiltshire) through swirling fog.

Besuited flunkeys are faceless courtiers at a champagne reception for the new king. No dissent is brooked in Claudius’ authoritarian regime. At old King Hamlet’s funeral, a protestor with a placard denouncing Claudius is dragged away. An investigative reporter has pages torn from her notepad. Hooded detainees are dragged off by soldiers; one is shot. Polonius watches everything, the eyes and ears of the court… alas, for bass Richard Woodall, he gets to sing next to nothing. Thomas missed a trick there.

Thomas’ opera itself works well once you concentrate not on what has been cut from Shakespeare – the elimination of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern removes much of the play’s black humour – but what remains, i.e. a very effective retelling of the story. Musically, it has elements of ‘The Pearl Fishers problem’ whereby it contains a fabulous duet early on which isn’t quite beaten during the rest of the opera, although Hamlet’s brindisi and Ophélie’s mad scene both push it close.

Adrian Kelly conducted the Orchestra of Opera North in a splendid account of the score, including a fabulous clarinet solo in the Act 4 prelude. The Fête du printemps ballet music is (wisely) cut but it is a shame to lose the mysterious saxophone solo in the play Hamlet stages to frame Claudius.

Based on a French translation of Shakespeare, the opera famously concludes with a ‘happy’ ending, Hamlet surviving to become king. Fearful of English outrage, Thomas penned a shorter ending (the “dénouement du Théâtre de Covent Garden”) whereby Hamlet dies, even if there’s no evidence it was performed during the composer’s lifetime. Here, the original ending is deployed, although the bloodied Hamlet looks none too happy taking up the crown.

The two leads were remarkably strong. Gregory Feldmann displayed an heroic baritone, with virile top notes in his superb Hamlet, from his extrovert drinking song – where he drowns himself in a cocktail of drink and drugs – to his interior monologue, “Être ou ne pas être” (Thomas’ take on “To be or not to be”). In Feldmann’s portrayal, it’s ambiguous whether Hamlet’s madness is genuine or a ruse to trap Claudius and Gertrude.

As Ophélie, South Korean soprano Yewon Han’s silvery tone impressed, although occasionally her top notes sounded pale when pushed. But she delivered a magnificent mad scene, decorated with trills and torrents of coloratura, capped by a top E as, playing in the reed beds and cutting them into bouquets, she uses the scissors to blind herself before drowning (fabulously staged).

Although the royal couple impressed dramatically, they were disappointing vocally. Alastair Miles’ frayed bass wobbled as Claudius and Allison Cook’s Gertrude, dramatically intense, was beset by intonation issues.

Joshua Baxter’s sweet tenor made much of Laërte (beaten with Yorick’s skull by Hamlet) and Danish bass Per Bach Nissen played the ghost of the murdered king with stentorian depth. Dan D’Souza made a big impression in the small role of Horatio. The youthful Buxton Festival Chorus, bright emerging talents, sang tremendously, with huge commitment to cap a wonderful performance.

Mark's accommodation was funded by the Buxton International Festival.