The ‘End of the World’ will go ahead, as plucky Regents Opera forge onwards to complete opera’s epic undertaking, Wagner’s full Ring cycle
As larger houses around the world are forced to stop after the third instalment, Regents Opera navigates obstacles to ensure its full cycle will go ahead in February 2025.
Ben Woodward completes the biggest undertaking of the cycle so far, the distillation of Götterdämmerung.
The full Ring cycle transfers to a new venue, York Hall in Bethnal Green.
This innovative production is performed in the round and specially arranged for a 23-piece orchestra, conducted by Ben Woodward and directed by Caroline Staunton.
Cast includes: Catharine Woodward as Brünnhilde, Ralf Lukas as Wotan/Wanderer, Peter Furlong as Siegfried, Oliver Gibbs as Alberich and Ingeborg Børch as Fricka. Simon Wilding joins for Götterdämmerung as Hagen.
Cycle One: Sun 9, Tues 11, Thurs 13 and Sun 16 February 2025
Cycle Two: Sun 23, Tues 25, Thurs 27 Feb and Sun 2 March 2025
Access this live Ring cycle for just £3 an hour.
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After the immense success of Regents Opera’s first three instalments of Wagner’s Ring cycle – Das Rheingold, Die Walküre and Siegfried, the plucky fringe opera company eyes its performances of the final instalment and full Ring cycle with determination.
In recent months a number of high-profile opera companies on three continents have shelved their cycles after the third opera, Siegfried. When Regents Opera learned that its previous venue, Freemasons Hall in Covent Garden, was no longer able to host its final performances it might have seemed that this cycle was also doomed. But that is not the case. After rapid negotiations with York Hall in Bethnal Green, the show shall go on – still in the round, and if anything in a more intimate and up-close experience for audiences, with many seats no further than 5 rows from the action.
This whole cycle has been a feat of dexterity, flexibility and resolve. The adaptation of Wagner’s enormous orchestration down to the forces of 23 musicians is in itself a huge task requiring hundreds of hours of detailed work by Ben Woodward arranging it, and incredible stamina from the 23 musicians performing it. Never has that been a greater ask than in the Cycle’s final instalment Götterdämmerung, written at a time when Wagner had become resident at Bayreuth with enormous orchestral forces at his disposal. As Regents Opera announces its performances in February 2025, Ben Woodward is just completing Act II, with the epic ‘end of the world’ still to face.
However, against the odds, Regents Opera will present the full cycle running through February 2025.
Tickets are now available here.
Director Caroline Staunton describes the final opera: ‘The narrative of Götterdämmerung, The Twilight of the Gods, is not a question of if, but a prolonged agonising game of how. Having surmounted the trauma of his childhood, landing in the arms of Brünnhilde, Siegfried seeks to develop his hero-calling and gives Brünnhilde the ring as a love token. But, as Wagner continuously reminds us, Alberich’s curse is ever present and promises the downfall of the God‘s progeny. In Hagen, we meet the embodiment of this destructive power, a figure content to bide his time, obscured by the supercilious Bling of the Gibichungs (Gunther is, to borrow Philip Larkin‘s wonderful phrase, nothing but a ‘ruin-bibber, randy for antique’). Siegfried’s betrothal to Gutrune turns Brünnhilde’s noble heart to revenge, guided by Hagen and the inevitable fate of those who have coveted the ring. Wotan watches in absence, awaiting the fate he has already accepted.’
The cast remains as celebrated previously, including the company’s new Wotan Ralf Lukas, who stepped in following the sad and all too soon death of Keel Watson, a valued company member since 2014. It was the thought of his Wotan that was part of the inspiration among the Regents Opera team to mount the cycle and whose performances over the previous two instalments had earned richly deserved praise and plaudits.
Continuing alongside Ralf Lukas as Wotan are internationally renowned soprano Catherine Woodward in the role of Brünnhilde, the eventual love interest of British/American tenor Peter Furlong’s Siegfried; Oliver Gibbs shines as Alberich, and we get to see all the characters’ developments across the cycle.
And we have the opportunity to enjoy again several characters and performances from earlier in the Ring cycle, including Holden Madagame and Oliver Gibbs as Nibelung brothers Mime and Alberich, Craig Lemont Walters as the dragon Fafner, and Mae Heydorn’s Earth god Erda, Corrine Hart’s Woodbird, Justine Viani’s radiant Sieglinde, and from the very first opera, James Schouten’s slippy and vibrant Loge.
The reception so far..,
The first instalment, Das Rheingold received a strong positive response, cited as a ground-breaking new interpretation and an ‘innovative’ spectacle that yielded ‘moments of magic’ throughout. The production was also praised for its accessibility and fair ticket pricing amidst the cost-of-living crisis, being named a ‘vital’ piece of fringe opera. The follow-up Die Walküre was called ‘imaginative and electrifying’ and ‘skilfully directed’ by Caroline Staunton, and Woodward’s orchestration praised for ‘proving that you don’t need a big orchestra to make that Wagner sound’. In their review of Die Walküre, The Stage also opined that ‘this may just be the best value Wagner going.’ Part three, Siegfried entertained critics with The Observer saying ‘This is small-scale Wagner with big ambitions and high musical standards’ and The Times admitting ‘There’s never a dull moment, which is saying something in a five-hour evening’ as well as praise for the wonderful cast – ‘a glorious Brünnhilde’ of Catharine Woodward, ‘delightfully funny’ of Corinne Hart’s Woodbird.
Comments about the venture so far include ‘Fringe Opera at its greatest’ Opera Now, ‘Is this slimmed down Wagner the future of opera?’ The Times and ‘Regents Opera’s lean and mean Wagner packs a punch’ The Guardian.
On the culmination of Regents Opera’s Ring cycle, Ben Woodward said: ‘The company is so proud to be bringing these monumental works to fruition – in our new space at York Hall – where audiences can experience them in more intimate ways that wouldn’t be possible in a major opera hall, and new audiences can take a chance on discovering one of the greatest operatic works of all time with tickets they can afford.
‘The cast, the players, the production team and all the fundraisers and funders of this cycle have all brought something incredible to this project over the last few years of planning and dreaming. And here we are now, planning the final opera Götterdämmerung – which I will finish in time! – and the full cycle. It’s the product of sweat and tears, dreams and determination. It will be emotional and wonderful, and I really hope you can join us to hear this quite brilliant cast and orchestra perform this Ring cycle.’
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