Albert Herring at ENO

Brriten Albert Herring Cast; Orchestra of English National Opera / Daniel Cohen (conductor). Coliseum, London, 13.10.2025

Production:

Director/Designer: Antony McDonald       

Lighting: Matthew Richardson

Costume Associate:  Ilona Karas

Cast:

Albert Herring: Caspar Singh

Sid: Dan D’Souza

Nancy: Anna Elizabeth Cooper

Lady Billows: Emma Bell

Florence Pike: Carolyn Dobbin

Mrs Wordsworth: Aoife Miskelly

Mr Gedge: Eddie Wade

Mr Linfold: Mark Le Brocq

Superintendent Budd: Andri Björn Robertsson

Mes Herring: Leah-Marian Jones

Emma: Abigail Siinclir

Cis: Natasha Oldbury

Harry: Henry Karp

Stage Manager: Ashton Hall

A rare opportunity to see and hear Biten’s 1947 opera (his Op. 39), Albert Herring for this frst shared production between London’s Coliseum and Manchester’s Lowry. There are two performances at St Martin’s Lane (October 13 and 16),and  one in Manchester (October 21).

The director himself, Antony McDonald, describes this as a ‘pared-down’ production, and so it is: two panels  suffice for all  locations, and there is an added ‘stage manager’ who changes the time and at one point gives prompt cards for applause; a nice meta-theatrical sleight that reminds us that what we are seeing is fiction. Perhaps we should not get too close to Albert’s tale.

McDonald’s stated intent is that he intends to

investigate ... the hypocrisy of the very judgmental characters in the story. At certain moments, we might see these characters through Albert’s eyes a little more.

He also points out that via this simplicity of means, the exploration of ‘the recurring concern of Britten for the repressed individual pitted against a judgmental and blinkered society is possible.

Amazingly, this s ENO’s first staging of Herring. Glyndebourne tackled it in 2002 (with Alfie Boe as Albert – Allan Clayton took it in the 2008 revival - Felicity Lott as Miss Billows and Susan Gritton as Miss Wordsworth); that same year, the Royal College presented it staged by Thomas Allan. London colleges have embraced Britten’s score more than the big houses: both the Royal Academy and Guildhall in 2010, with the RCM following  suit in 2015. Britten’s score has fared pretty well internationally, though. Interesting to see it travels well; certainly, it stands in hige contrast to the works around it: preceded by The Rape of Lucretia (Op. 37) and succeeded by Billy Budd (Op. 50, four years later in 1951). So is this Herring a slender Grecian maid?

No, it’s a comedy: albeit s somewhat discomfiting one in McDpnald’s staging (most obviously when the vicar chases the schoolboy off brndishing a pack of sweets; or possibly where Sid kisses both his beloved/intended  prey Nancy and Albert). In filling in some gaps to the community characters, McDonald puts shadows over the work, and not inappropriate ones. Britten’s score, for chamber ensemble, is deft but by no mean always light. An adult’s soufflé, perhaps. And it does resoate with the idea of pagan associations with May: the May Queen (or King, in his case, as there ar no female vigins to be found!) and the surrounding festvities. The dark stage background seems to imply there is an undercurrent here: Herring is an outsider, yes, but maybe that’s a good thing. An innocent in a society corrupt at muliple levels. Matthew Richardson’s virtuoso lighting supports this concept pefectly, providing contrasts and emphases galore.

Before we get to the singing, it is the conductor who deserves praise: Daniel Cohen, curretly Generalmusikdirektor at Darmstadt. This is his ENO debut and for me he’s welcome back any tme. I was lucky enough to have a seat from which I could see him at work: Cohen's knowledge of the score was complete, as was his engagement with both music and players. He fully embraced McDonald’s conception, finding reciprocal  darkness in Britten’ score, but also high beauty (the Act One  ensemble headed by the vicar, ‘Virtue, says Holy Writ’) a prime example). Mr Gedge the vicar, kicks this off (Eddie Wade here, in fine voice); and how lovely the ensemble sounded at ‘Herring” (‘Albert ... what’s his name? . .. Herring”).

Cohen also revelled in Britten’s quotations and semi-quotes, with horn player Timothy Ellis parriculaly  impressive in the Siegfried-through-a-looking glass moments. Cohen also highlighted Britten’s imaginative scoring, most notably the remarkable Intelude in Act One. Clare Wickes (flute/piccolo.alto flute), Rosie Stanforth (oboe/co anglis) and Barnaby Robson (clarinet/bass clarinet) and Charlotte Cox (bassoon) were the stand-out wind soloists, and all credit to the control demonstrated by the strings. It did feel that Britten’s sound wold was there in all of its colour (including the darker shades); a more vairegted experience, one could argue, than McDonald’s staging.

The cast was a fine one, led by Caspar Singh’s superbly awkward Albert. He was funny when drunk (but we should remember that there was malice aforethought in the spiking of his drink, definitely a no-no these days). His nemesis, Sid, was taken with great swagger (and vocal presence) by Dan D’Souza, all toxic masulinity; but of course, musically they wee a fine team, nicel contrasted as Britten intended. Emma Bell made fo an imposing Lady Billows  (her name could justifiably have been “Lady Bellows”: this was a strident, forthcoming assumption of the role); Carolyn Dobbin was a strong housekeeper, Florence Pike, in the earlier scenes paticularly.  Andri Björn Róbertsson hammed up the role of Superintendent Budd superbly; Anne Elizabeth Cooper, a current ENO Harewood artist, was absolutely brilliant as Nancy.

Leah-Marian Jones is cetainly a familiar name  certainly to WNO afficiondos (and of course, she ws part of their Prokofiev War and Peace they brought to Covent Garden in 2019, review). Her Mrs Herring was the perfect depiction, entirely her own, strong and a contrasting pillar to Lady Billows. With Aoife Miskelly a creditable Miss Wordsworth and the kids’ roles billiantly taken, this was really what ENO does best:  a true company effort.

But what of the actual score itself? There seems to be a case (to my ears) for tightening up, although Britten only truly meanders on rare occasions.

Coming up, Handel Partenope is eagerly awaited: just as ENO has a grand tradition of Britten staging, so it is known for its progressive stagings of Handel. Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking sits in between Herring and Partenope.