Ellen Kent's style of opera gives audiences something to sing about

Nov 21 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Kllen Kent presents Tosca at the Liverpool Empire _320

Ellen Kent tells Vicky Anderson about staging three classic operas on one stage

ELLEN KENT operas are renowned for their sumptuous takes on the classics, and a dedication to the lavish that has seen white stallions, golden eagles and giant koi carp share the stage with the tenors and sopranos.

Now her biggest-ever triple bill is coming to the Liverpool stage.

Tosca, pictured, Carmen and La Boheme are at the Empire from December 4 to 6 – with Kent herself promising it will be quite unlike anything opera lovers have ever seen before.

This time, she stages all three in a giant amphitheatre, a set-piece so huge it is classed as a building.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime investment,” she laughs.

“It cost far too much money to do. An arm and a leg. I went to several designers who all ran off when I told them what I wanted; it took ages to find someone to do it.

“But it looks great. It is a different twist to what I’ve done over the years, and lifts all three productions into a different league.”

The amphitheatre was launched with an all-out production at Leeds Castle this summer that played to 6,000 people over two performances.

Designed by Rob Bowen, it has its own steel structure covered in wood.

“They had never put on an opera (at Leeds Castle) and came to me to ask if I could do something to attract the masses,” she explains.

“I thought, how do I do this in what was more or less a circus tent in the grounds – albeit one bigger than the Albert Hall.

“I had the idea of the amphitheatre – they are magnificent, awe-inspiring structures – why not create the Colosseum of Rome?

“Ordinarily, there would be sound problems, a tent doesn’t have the best ambience, and the only thing I thought might work would be Carmen.

“So I moulded the whole representation of Carmen to be in a bull fight. It sold out – I was surprised my idea of turning the tent into a bull ring worked so well and thought I may as well take it on tour. Why not give audiences outside of Leeds Castle that experience?”