Satyagraha – English National Opera, London Coliseum

Writer: Philip Glass

Directed by Phelim McDermott

Reviewer: Lauren Rare

The Public Reviews Rating:

This opera charts the life and influences of Ghandi and his quest to educate people about the need for peaceful resistance as a way of attaining political ends. It explores how Tolstoy, Tagore and Luther King inspired him, and in Tolstoy’s case, actively supported him.

Alan Oke’s sympathetic and sensitive portrayal of Ghandi was central to the show and he was ably supported by the rest of the heroic cast who battled gamely through this protracted opera.

The music of Philip Glass is an acquired taste, and as the programme states “minimalist his music may be, but not in quantity.” I found the endless repetition of limited notes very tedious, as did much of the audience if the ever increasing number of empty seats after each act was anything to judge by. The hypnotic and over-used chanting caused at least seven people around me to fall asleep. The orchestra, conducted by Stuart Stratford, should be congratulated on masterfully plodding through this work with its incalculable repeats and very limited lyrical qualities which lasted over 3 hours.

The set, which had been designed by Julian Crouch, was as spartan as the music, but used to impressive effect. A range of doors and windows opened periodically to allow cast members to enter in an array of ways, including the newspaper covering of one portal being torn apart to reveal menacing military figures who descended on ropes to take away many of the protagonists leaving Ghandi alone, grief stricken.

One of the main technical features of the work involved projection of both moving and still images and texts onto newspapers held up by members of the cast, producing a simple but stunning effect. The use of newspapers, present throughout the play in a number of guises, was imaginative, as were the acres of sellotape that would have made Blue Peter proud. However, the use of shiny sellotape on the newspaper banners did make them look rather amateur.

Early on in the opera, a number of coat hangers mysteriously appeared from the ceiling. The cast proceeded to attach their coats and jackets to them and theses items were then elevated. This motif was repeated too frequently and after watching clothes, candles, newspapers and people all floating up in the same way, it did begin to have less of an impact.

Despite being shown at the English National Opera, it may be worth noting that the entire performance is in Sanskrit. Even though occasional phrases are projected onto the set in English, it is extremely hard to follow the story. It is frustrating that ENO has curiously chosen not to use surtitles for this performance as it does render it quite inaccessible for those who are not very familiar with the Bagahvad Gita.

The puppets, masterminded by Rob Thirtle, were a triumph. Giant models were used as an effective metaphor for the battle that Arjuna struggles with at the beginning of the story. Later on, grotesque, yet easily recognisable, oversized puppets added a satirical and sinister twist to this portrayal of Ghandi’s treatment by political leaders.

The contrast between the dull monochrome of the European characters’ clothing and the flame coloured saris was striking. An eclectic mixture of gaudy colours and patterns on the clothing of the cast who groaned their way through the ‘Ha Ha’ chorus was reminiscent of a pantomime, but much less enjoyable. A short man in yellow check trousers and a bright blue jacket seemed to be the only one who was aware that acting waspart of his job description. The others mooched around carrying chairs like infants clearing up after an assembly.

The whole production creaked along for far too long with a few flashes of light, like the dramatic appearance of fire on the stage as Ghandi’s supporters symbolically burned their registration documents which was very poignant; otherwise it was generally quite dark and depressing. The production team have made the best of a very challenging task and are to be admired for their stamina.