Peter Grimes drops anchor again at The Royal Opera

Allan Clayton (Peter Grimes)

Maria Bengtsson (Ellen) and Sir Bryn Terfel (Captain Balstrode)

Allan Clayton (Peter Grimes)

John Graham-Hall (Bob Boles), Barnaby Rea (Hobson) and chorus

By Christopher Woodley, 06 May 2026

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“the beast is forever with us and its insidiousness is here grimly and fantastically evoked”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 5 May 2026

Britten, Peter Grimes

The Royal Opera

Jakub Hrůša, Conductor

Deborah Warner, Director

Michael Levine, Set Designer

Luis F Carvalho, Costume Designer

Peter Mumford, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Allan Clayton, Peter Grimes

Maria Bengtsson, Ellen Orford

Sir Bryn Terfel, Captain Balstrode

Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Auntie

John Graham-Hall, Bob Boles

Clive Bayley, Swallow

Christine Rice, Mrs Sedley

Jacques Imbrailo, Ned Keene

Barnaby Rea, Hobson

James Gilchrist, Rev Horace Adams

Jennifer France, First Niece

Natalia Labourdette, Second Niece

Kim Brandstrup, Choreography

Johnny Imbrailo, Actor

Two funerals and a bedding at the Linbury Theatre

Eleanor Knight, 1st May

Tales of love and loss as operas by Elena Langer, Charlotte Bray and Elizabeth Maconchy form a varied triple bill in this showcase for The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists.

****1

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Mark Pullinger, 29th January

The second revival of Richard Jones' staging of Mussorgsky's original 1869 version of Boris Godunov once again stars the Welsh knight.

****1

Ermonela Jaho returns in triumph to The Royal Opera’s Traviata

Mark Valencia, 8th January

Richard Eyre’s 32-year-old production is rarely out of The Royal Opera’s repertoire for more than a few months at a time, but this particular revival proves very special.

*****

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Christopher Woodley

Christopher’s professional background is in the public sector, and includes a spell in music librarianship. A composer, he is a keen follower of contemporary music and has attended all but four editions of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, including the first concert in 1978. Other musical passions include a fascination with the “bad boys” of the New Complexity fixation, particularly the god-like Brian Ferneyhough – arguably the best thing to have come out of Coventry. When not listening to Boulez, Christopher relaxes by frequenting the fields, orchards, woodlands and pubs on the Weald of Kent, where he lives.

No harbour shelters peace: Peter Grimes drops anchor again at The Royal Opera