English National Opera

Hairy McMungo believes that if you want to put on an opera about visiting China the best singers for the job are Scottish. And Hairy is right too, even though he hasn’t seen this opera yet he knows he’s right. Unfortunately the ENO, probably because of what the E stands for have a mostly English cast but the cast are not without true Scottish experience. Judith Howarth (Chiang Ch’ing) is not Scottish but trained in Scotland and now lives there. Hairy thinks this is very sensible and he would live in Scotland himself if the train fares to London weren’t so expensive. But his English home still has the scent of Caledonia, literally at times. Roland Wood (Henry Kissinger) is English but it was with the kind Scots that his career really began, he was a Company Principal with Scottish Opera so he too has training in the fine Scottish tradition.

But the cast has one true Scot and Janis Kelly is perfect as the American Pat Nixon. As Pat represents the Americans Janis represents the Scots and Hairy McMungo feels proud to watch her. A Scotswoman in England playing an American in China, that’s what Hairy likes to see. Janis sings beautifully, she’s warm and sincere, even through the libretto suggests she might be just the opposite.

Her husband Richard Nixon is sung by James Maddalena, he was in the original production too, in 1988. Nixon’s distinctive personality comes through strongly, and if Hairy was the sort of person who believed in ghosts he would be getting very worried. Hairy thinks this must be a parallel universe Nixon though, this one can’t really be going to do what the real Nixon did when he gets back to America. But Hairy still wouldn’t want him as a drinking partner.

Mark Stone sings Chou En-lai. Hairy isn’t sure why, he’s much too young and too much of a sexual predator, not that Hairy fancies him. He sings well enough but there’s so much more that could be brought to this role. Christopher Maltman who he replaced wouldn’t have been right either, he’s another who’s overly fond of himself but Gerald Finley who was in the revival that got cancelled could have done it. But if the ENO really wanted to give the role to a former Company Principal Hairy thinks the Scottish baritone Leigh Melrose would have been brilliant.

Roland Wood as Hairy said sings Henry Kissinger, he’s a bit young too but he manages, he even asks where the toilet is with dignity. So Fit Crit and Cunning Little Vixen did not laugh about it all the way home. Hairy has seen into the future and he knows no-one laughed so don’t even think about doing it.

Adrian Thompson sings Mao Tse-tung. His characterisation skills could rival those of a Scotsman and he’d probably do it for less Money than a Scottish tenor. Hairy is a bit confused about politics in China, he’s not sure who the real boss is but Thompson has lots of authority.

Chiang Ch'ing who’s married to Mao Tse-tung is sung by Judith Howarth. Hairy has seen them as a married couple before but it didn’t turn out very well for them in Pagliacci. If Nedda had been more like Chiang Ch’ing she probably could have had all the affairs she wanted, Canio wouldn’t have interfered with a woman like that. Even Hairy McMungo would proceed with caution, he would not like to be on the wrong side of Chiang Ch’ing, she’d probably arrange for him to be mugged or something. Everything in her voice and body language tells Hairy to come and have a go only if he thinks he’s hard enough. Slight earache on the top Ds.

The three Secretaries were good, there was some weird stuff about pigs though. Pigs in China are as important as haggii in Scotland (that’s the plural of haggis for any English people out there) and Hairy understands that even the Bible in those parts mentions the Pig of God which is actually very funny after a few drinks.

HAIRY McMUNGO

primi-divi at hotmail.co.uk