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Barrie Kosky’s Saul Returns to Glyndebourne in Bold Revival

Under Jonathan Cohen’s baton the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment brings Handel’s drama to life on a pitch-black stage featuring a giant severed head prop

'Saul' by Handel at Glyndebourne, East Sussexn (Photo: ASH / Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.)


Image supplied via joe.fuller@glyndebourne.com
Provider: ?? Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.
Copyright: Photography by ASH
Christopher Purves is a compelling Saul

Overview

  • The production returns for its third Glyndebourne run since 2015 and will play through July 24.
  • Baritone Christopher Purves and countertenor Iestyn Davies reprise their roles as Saul and David, embodying the story’s themes of jealousy and madness.
  • Donna Stirrup’s restaging and Merry Holden’s choreography complement Katrin Lea Tag’s stark designs and Joachim Klein’s lighting to create a hyper-real visual world.
  • A chorus of singers shifts seamlessly between surreal comedy and pathos around the centerpiece of Goliath’s towering severed head.
  • Critics have awarded four-star reviews for the ensemble’s performances and Jonathan Cohen’s leadership of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.