Opera North's Peter Grimes at The Lowry

Philipa Lloyd has created a production of heart-stopping intensity in this revival of the greatest British opera.

Peter Grimes is cleared of the murder of his young apprentice - but this is the second time an apprentice of the fisherman has died and only Ellen Orford and the retired Captain Balstrode believe in his innocence. As the townsfolk of The Borough gossip, Grimes takes another apprentice to help him bring in the fishing nets. When Ellen discovers bruises on the new apprentice's neck she finally leaves Grimes as the townspeople decide to take matters into their own hands...

Played out on a stark, barren stage where a single net and some wooden pallets provide the only relief from the angry backdrop of the sea, Lloyd's production is suffused with an intensity which left the audience frozen and silent as Grimes stumbles towards his fate.

Huge, broad and fierce, Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts creates a fearful spectacle as Grimes, but from this imposing frame rises a graceful, pleading tenor which displays his vulnerability and desperate need to be accepted. His portrayal of the outsider shows a depth of emotion that cannot fail to leave the audience moved. Nowhere is this truer than in the love scenes between him and Ellen (Giselle Allen), which reverberate with tenderness. Allen's Ellen is gentle and loving, but beneath her obliging exterior is a streak of steel, clear for all to see as she stands up for Grimes before the villagers. The delicate balance of her strength and Peter's vulnerability makes us feel that here, perhaps, could be some redemption for Peter in her love, making it all the more shocking when he strikes her.

By contrast the villagers are drunken hypocrites, feeding each other's suspicions and revelling in their lust for blood and liquor. The final scenes where they tear Peter apart in effigy and begin marching, clubs and flaming torches and a single chainsaw held aloft are genuinely frightening, each call of "Peter Grimes" jolting through the audience like a physical shock.

The orchestra take full advantage of Britten's exquisite score and the opportunity to play the four Sea Interludes in full, following conductor James Holme's cue and clearly evoking both the changes in the sea and the emotional landscape of the play.

Lloyd's first tour of the opera won five-star reviews and awards around the country. Eighteen months later this revival still has as much energy and magnetism as Lloyd's initial production. Opera North's Peter Grimes is thought-provoking, heart-breaking and electrifying by turns, and a credit to a director and company at the top of its game.

PETER GRIMES

Weds 20th Feb, The Grand Opera House, Belfast

Tues 26th Feb, Sadler's Wells, London

Thurs 28th Feb, Sadler's Wells, London

Weds 5th March, Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Words: Claire Symonds