Review: SAMSON ET DALILA, Royal Ballet And Opera
Richard Jones's production is afraid to commit, but convinces with outstanding music
This revival of Richard Jones’s 2022 production of Samson et Dalila excels on a musical level with spectacular performances by Aigul Akhmetshina as Dalila and SeokJong Baek as Samson, but unfortunately the staging itself suffers under a wave of ambiguity with certain tacky props that feel unintentionally comic.
The setting is vaguely 20th century; we know little of where or when precisely, beyond the depiction of the Philistines as defined by authoritarian excess and hedonism, whereas the Jews are depicted in largely grey and beige. The sets are largely barren with occasional structures offering the background for some of the scenes, such as a black and white cube as backdrop for the Israelites’ prayer, or a largely empty hut as Dalila’s home. The most extravagant visual motif is the giant depiction of Dagon as a gambling clown carrying a slot machine and a set of poker chips. It’s more tacky than impressive, as is the effect when Samson brings down the palace in the finale.
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These odd choices make it difficult to discern what exactly it was that Richard Jones was going for; it doesn’t help that the opera itself presents notable staging challenges. Saint-Saëns himself intended it as an oratorio, rather than a staged opera, which does go some ways to explain the staging difficulties in this production.
But that doesn’t ruin what is otherwise a solid experience. Saint-Saëns’ music is still fantastic and performed to perfection by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus under Alexander Soddy’s baton, and the cast is equally outstanding. Korean tenor SeokJong Baek - who reprises his role as Samson - maintains a sweet, warm fullness in the lower registers and adds sweetness in the top with a masterful control throughout. He is paired well with Aigul Akhmetshina’s mezzo-soprano; technically masterful and full of beautiful character, her rendition of ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix’ is nothing short of stunning.
While Richard Jones’s Samson et Dalila has some interesting concepts, it remains an opera to be heard, rather than seen. Much of the music is outstanding, and when performed as well as here, it doesn’t seem to matter as much that the production seems afraid to commit to anything specific.
Samson et Dalila is at the Royal Ballet and Opera until 3 June 2026
Photo Credits: Mihaela Bodlovic
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