Phyllida Lloyd’s fantastic, stripped-back model of Britten’s Peter Grime revived at Opera North with a totally rounded efficiency from John Findon as Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes, Act One, Scene One – Opera North, 2026 (Photograph: James Glossop)

Britten: Peter Grimes; John Findon, Philippa Boyle, Simon Bailey, Johannes Moore, Hilary Summers, Stuart Jackson, Nazan Fikret, Ava Dodd, Claire Pascoe, Daniel Norman, Blaise Malaba, director: Phyllida Lloyd/Karolina Sofulak/Tim Claydon, conductor: Garry Walker; Opera North at Leeds Grand Theatre
Reviewed 13 February 2026

Phyllida Lloyd’s highly effective, stripped-back manufacturing revived with a powerful ensemble solid and the corporate in terrific type, centred on terrific performances from John Findon and Philippa Boyle as Grimes and Ellen Orford. 

Phyllida Lloyd‘s manufacturing of Britten’s Peter Grimes debuted at Opera North in 2006 and although it was final seen again in round 2013 it has remained one of many productions members of the corporate most talked about reviving. Now it’s again within the care of revival administrators Karolina Sofulak [who directed Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Opera Holland Park in 2019, see my review] and Tim Claydon, who can also be the motion director. We caught the opening evening on Friday 13 February 2026 on the Leeds Grand Theatre performed by Garry Walker, the corporate’s music director. Designs have been by Anthony Ward with lighting by Paule Constable/Ben Jacobs.

Peter Grimes was performed by John Findon with Philippa Boyle as Ellen Orford [who we last saw as Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre with London Opera Company in 2023, see my review]. Simon Bailey [seen recently in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at ENO, see my review, and a notable Wotan in Dresden Music Festival’s historically informed Die Walküre, see my review]. Hilary Summers was Auntie, Nazan Fikret and Ava Dodd have been the Nieces, Stuart Jackson was Bob Boles, James Creswell was Swallow, Claire Pascoe was Mrs Sedley, Daniel Norman was Rev Adams, Johannes Moore was Ned Keene and Blaise Malaba was Hobson.

Seeing Lloyd’s manufacturing for the primary time (I didn’t catch the earlier revival) it was fascinating to see how Lloyd caught lots of the concepts and themes which have cropped up in newer productions of the opera. This was a really stripped-back staging with a give attention to the performers.

Britten: Peter Grimes – John Findon, Philippa Boyle – Opera North, 2026 (Photograph: James Glossop)

Anthony Ward had created a easy area with a picture of the ocean on the again inside which every part occurred. Costumes have been loosely Sixties. There was no bodily Borough, the main target was on the refrain filling the stage and within the opening scene of Act One and the closing scene of the opera the visible focus was an enormous web which was being labored on but additionally created a placing picture. A lot use was fabricated from pallets which have been moved round by members of the corporate, could possibly be stood on, stacked and even placed on edge to create boundaries such because the one which held the refrain again through the Prologue. Grimes’s hut was a fancy development, the elevating of which, through the Passacaglia in Act Two, was the event for Grimes’s fantasy of a greater life.

The opera opened with the youngsters of the Borough discovering Grimes’a physique, and on the finish of Act Three, John Findon stripped and walked into the ocean, bringing issues full circle. All through the night, motion was taken into the Sea Interludes, making them a part of the dramatic motion quite than interludes. This positioned much more on John Findon’s shoulders, as he was current on stage rather a lot. Maybe essentially the most placing picture was on the opening of Act Three, when Findon’s Grimes was mourning the physique of the apprentice, a tremendous efficiency from Toby Dray. In an motion that will need to have taken a number of belief growing between Findon and Dray, we noticed Grimes elevate the boy’s physique excessive into the air.

Findon sang the function at Dutch Nationwide Opera and coated it for Deborah Warner’s manufacturing at Covent Backyard. He gave us a really full, totally rounded account of the character. He has the facility for a contemporary, post-Jon Vickers account of the function, however Findon additionally had the power to tremendous his voice down. ‘The Nice Bear’ featured some profoundly stunning singing, helped by being sung on to us, the viewers. Findon made Grimes one thing of a dreamer, however emphasised his sense of displacement: determined to suit into the Borough, but not doing so. Considerably self-absorbed quite than strictly violent, like a number of huge singers taking part in the function he used his bulk admirably: this was a personality whose quickness to anger may have tough penalties. Grimes’s remaining scene, with Findon alone on stage, was shifting and mesmerizing.

Britten: Peter Grimes – Johannes Moore, Hilary Summers, Nazan Fikret, Ava Dodd – Opera North, 2026 (Photograph: James Glossop)

In Act Two, Findon’s Grimes and Philippa Boyle’s Ellen made their lengthy scene appear as if we have been eavesdropping on a long-married couple’s difficulties, the connection coming aside. This constructed on the sense developed in Act One, that this relationship was long-established. Boyle lower a considerably dowdy, old style determine as Ellen, dressed very in a different way to the with-it outfits of the nieces. She came to visit as one thing of a quiet mouse, but one with a core of bravery: she dared to go the place others dare not with Grimes. Boyle introduced out Ellen’s sense of ethical daring, one thing comparable that the most effective Micaelas give to Act Three of Bizet’s Carmen. She made the solo in Act Two and the Embroidery Aria in At Three each profoundly shifting and quite stunning.

Simon Bailey’s command of the function of Bulstrode was admirable, there was not a hint of hectoring in his tone. As a substitute, Bailey used his voice lyrically but by no means wanted to push. This was a sympathetic Bulstrode, nonetheless one thing of an outsider, somebody you felt might need had comparable difficulties to Grimes with the individuals of the Borough however who had come to a extra passable lodging. Hilary Summers introduced an identical sense of fence-sitting to Auntie. Summers lower a glamorous determine, usually smiling and welcoming but additionally in a position to see her clientele clearly. Although this was a consummate account of the function, there have been moments when Summers felt a bit of underpowered for it to be very best. Nazan Fikret and Ava Dodd made the nieces into clear members within the drama quite than reactive nonentities. They have been each stuffed with persona, in a position to give nearly as good as they acquired.

The benefit of this was that the quartet of girls in Act Two, at all times considered one of my highlights within the opera, had an underlying sense of drama to it which appeared to make the music extra profound.

Britten: Peter Grimes – Claire Pascoe, Johannes Moore – Opera North, 2026 (Photograph: James Glossop)

Johannes Moore, whom we’ve got seen with British Youth Opera, made a terrific Ned Keene. Moore’s assumption of the function appeared easy, a wide-boy, eager for the women but additionally sympathetic to Grimes. Clarie Pascoe was a terrific Mrs Sedley together with having the ability to cope admirably with the function’s low tessitura. Pascoe introduced out the character’s obsessiveness, and there have been moments in Act Three when she appeared a main candidate for dwelling in Royston Vasey. Maybe higher identified for singing Mozart, Handel and Monteverdi, Stuart Jackson made a splendidly unsavoury Bob Boles full with lengthy, greasy hair and obsessive method. Jackson sang vividly and effortlessly, commanding the stage.

James Creswell was a powerful Swallow, simply in a position to command a room but letting his hair down splendidly within the opening scene of Act Three. Daniel Norman was suitably oily as Revd Adams but not a lot to render the character unbelievable. Blaise Malaba made a powerful, but sympathetic Hobson. Dean Robinson from the refrain performed Dr Crabbe.

Fielding practically 50 singers, the refrain was on terrific type, filling the stage each vocally and dramatically. The manufacturing positioned a number of emphasis on them as residents of the Borough. Although the tip of Act Two, Scene One, was profoundly disturbing, the power of the manufacturing was in the way in which that the members of the Borough appeared to be unusual nonentities quite than oddities. Within the opening scene of Act One and different locations, there was a number of bodily motion too, making a musico-dramatic complete. The residents of the Borough have been right here very positively a personality in their very own proper, and mirrored within the commanding vocal performances.

Britten: Peter Grimes – Opera North, 2026 (Photograph: James Glossop)

Garry Walker appeared to take a fluid view of the opera, generally taking speeds at tempos which have been on the quicker facet. The consequence was undoubtedly a dramatic account of the opera, one which drew you into the drama. The orchestra was on tremendous type, and there was loads to take pleasure in within the interludes however Walker made positive these have been woven into the entire.

The manufacturing was devoted to the reminiscence of the corporate’s first normal administrator Graham Marchant (1945-2024), quite appropriately because the opera featured in Opera North’s first season in 1978/79.

The power of the manufacturing was the way in which it mined the way in which that unusual life may have a vein of anger and violence and be disturbing, the sense of informal nastiness. There was one thing profoundly uncomfortable about the way in which Lloyd/Sofulak/Claydon introduced out the difficulties of the drama with out ever making the people dislikable. This was the facility of unusual individuals. Towering over this was Findon’s Grimes, one thing of a visionary but additionally uncomfortable in his personal pores and skin and inclined to lash out, and in the end heartbreaking.