Review: DIDO & AENEAS at Grand Théâtre

This week, BroadwayWorld had the pleasure of attending Dido and Aeneas, a retelling of this timeless story through the eyes of music director Emmanuelle Haim and stage director Franck Chartier. The Grand Théâtre de Genève was responsible for the production of this phenomenal play, which featured great actors and singers, as well as a formidable set of performers from the Belgian theater and dance company Peeping Tom.

This might have been the event of the season, so we will allow ourselves to break tradition from our usual format and simply list the elements that made this show so great.

The choreography: The Peeing Tom artists were simply superb. There were multiple solo and group numbers that stood out and their overall contribution to the creation of a surrealist and soul reaching atmosphere was instrumental for the success of the play. From the couple cleaning the floor with a white towel to the hellish figures at the end of the show, the choreography and its masterful execution was the backbone and the heart of the performance.

Surrealism and symbolism: Despite its several components of witchcraft and magic, many productions of this opera opt for a classic straight-forward narrative. This performance, however, took multiple creative liberties, closely investing in the surreal, in the physical expression of a troubled mind and in the symbolic manifestation of individual and collective moods. The gradual and claustrophobic introduction of sand on stage, the very meaningful choices when it came to costumes and nudity, the moments in slow motion, the dealing with wind and smoke, all contributed to a breath-taking feeling of sorrow and Weltschmerz that surely grasped everyone in the audience.

The political and social aspects: The original 17th century script does not touch particularly on the reaction of the people to what is, in effect, a plot to destroy Carthage and its regime. The show managed to provide a unique take on both the ruling and working classes, as well as express the anger of euphoric masses. Dido's choices, failings and ultimate downfall send ripples across the nation, which start small in its inner circle, but which become dramatic in the edges of her reach. In this context, we would perhaps remark that the chorus felt somewhat underused. Present above the stage throughout the entire play, it contributed greatly to the atmosphere, yet apart from an early scene, it was mostly restricted to its singing capacity. With political and social aspects (and even surreal elements) coming into play, more could have been done with this great ensemble.

Dido: We saved her majesty for last. Everything spins around Dido, from the narrative, to the perception of time and reality. The performance stretched the very limits of acting, singing and centering a performance around your shoulders. This phenomenal result was, no doubt, a mix between performer and direction skills, and we could not have asked for more. The retrospective view of events, the feeling of exhaustion and confusion and the ever-present impression of sorrow were both disconcerting and mesmerizing.

As always, our thanks to the Grand Theátre for yet another great show.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Image credit: Carole Parodi

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!