Can you resist this fresh new Carmen rebooted as a story with echoes of our time?
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When Scottish Opera brings the story of Carmen to Eden Court, a couple of twists to the original will add a fresh spin to an opera people might think they know well.
The emotional tragedy of great love turning sour as soldier Don Jose loses the heart of Carmen but cannot lose his obsession with the free-spirited beauty, is given a couple of changes.
For a start, the opera is being sung in English not the traditional French that the composer Bizet wrote it in.
And also bringing it closer to our own time, leaving the 1820s behind, it is set in Spain in the 1970s, a time when the dictator Franco ceased to have control of the country and it began to free itself of the restrictions of his rule.
And the story Bizet and his librettists, who wrote the spoken dialogue and words to the music, took from the book by French writer Prosper Merimee, is closer in this production to what he wrote originally.
Scottish Opera returns to the idea of Merimee’s story. The toxic romance of Jose and Carmen is told by Jose, who narrates it from prison where he waits out the time before he will be executed for her murder. And in one of the boldest changes in Scottish Opera’s version, Jose tells his story to a detective investigating the case – a character added to the opera.
So when it is decided to bring a fresh take and maybe a new way of seeing the characters and a production’s unfolding events – where do you start?
John Fulljames, the director for Scottish Opera’s Carmen – which opens at Eden Court on Tuesday – explains.
“I suppose I feel fortunate that I have a relationship with Scottish Opera that goes back over many years, most recently to Nixon In China,” he said, referring to the production of that opera that he directed for Scottish Opera in 2020 which one review called “a constantly surprising spectacle”.
“In restaging classics, we ask ourselves some fundamental questions – what is this story? Why should we be telling this story today?
“The reason these pieces are classics is that they have something to say which transcends the period in which they were written. I think they are strong enough to be read as contemporary worlds. We find things in them that resonate for us.”
Once the opera company and John had looked at working on Carmen, deciding to present it in English was an early decision.
John said: “We were keen to create an experience that was a really direct theatrical experience. We want the story to be really clear to follow and that is what Bizet the composer wanted originally.
“He wrote this piece for premiere in France. And it was written in the language of that audience – French and was in the Opera Comique which was the most popular type of theatre then.
“So yes, that was part of the decision of how we wanted the material to connect with our audience.”
Changing the setting to the 1970s and what Spain was going through then, just emphasises Carmen’s position as an outsider.
“I think what the setting does is raise the stakes,” John said.
“There is so much at stake in the 1970s, both politically in Spain around the time of the birth of democracy and a new type of freedom.
“But also more generally in society – including in Spain, there was a revolution in the relationships between men and women.”
John said: “It was extraordinary to come home one night from a rehearsal of Carmen, turn on the television and Newsnight was looking at – I think the phrase was ‘a boys’ culture of misogyny and harassment’ in the Scottish police force.
“Across the whole country we still see that we live in a society with these deeply embedded toxic cultures. The police – which is in the context of our story, is just one of those.”
The opera takes on the idea of a murder case, the TV crime drama is familiar to all of us.
John said: “Familiar, but it’s a new element to offer a fresh perspective.”
Scottish Opera’s Carmen is at Eden Court from Tuesday to Saturday, May 27. For more information on inclusive performances and the pre-show talk : eden-court.co.uk
Access Performance
It is on Friday, May 26 at 3pm at Eden Court.
It is a fully staged version of Carmen, specially created for those who enjoy a more relaxed opera experience.
If a full-length opera doesn’t feel like the right fit, the afternoon Access performance gives the flexibility and freedom to relax, move about as required, and have a fantastic time!
Access performances are open to all and make coming to a favourite opera as easy and stress-free as possible. With full cast and orchestra and narration to take you through the story, there are extra staff on hand to help and a smaller capacity to allow everyone space. So whether you’re living with dementia or Long COVID, recovering from an operation, struggling to get out to evening performances or would simply benefit from the more relaxed atmosphere, you can enjoy everything opera has to offer. The show is Dementia Friendly and open to groups.
