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From the moment the audience entered the auditorium for the company’s Emerging Artists production this was clearly going to be a fun evening, even if the story is, of course, one of great tragedy.
Musicians from the early music ensemble Barokksolistene walked up and down the side aisles, playing their instruments, and chatting with audience members. I cannot remember what my exchange was about, but it was with the leader of the troupe Bjarte Eike as he played his baroque fiddle.
Similarly, Longborough adopted a very different approach to Purcell’s The Fairy Queen in 2023, (reviewed below) with a newly commissioned arrangement that also blended genres.
This is also a great experience for young people who are involved with Longborough’s youth choir. The stage was already filling with youngsters in quasi baroque costumes by Åsa Gjerstad and Alys Whitehead. There is no conventional orchestra pit as the strings, lute/guitar, harmonium/harpsichord, and percussion interact with the performers including the youth chorus.
Bjarte Eike and Barokksolistene
The feel of the event was again more folk than baroque, with Barokksolistene’s breaking genre walls, and this was even more so after the opera finished. After the long picnic interval the opera ended very quickly with Dido’s gorgeous lament and With Drooping Wings choral closing. However, the audience was advised to stay in their seats. There followed a half hour or so of shanties and laments on loss with a lot of folk vibes. With Bjarte Eike’s chatty narration and directed by Norwegian stage director and choreographer Erlend Samnøen’s work gave it a Nordic storytelling feel. Eike starts by introducing cast members on to the stage and in panto style explains that Steven Player is the villain Iarbas when he dons his crown and cloak, and reverts to being just Steven when not in this royal garb. I am not sure where Aenaes’ rival Iarbas appears in Purcell’s work, but it added to the fun. Continuing the audience participation panto style Eike teaches the audience a song and later we also divide the audience up to sing a rondo.
It slightly overshadowed the Purcell opera itself although the singing from Longborough’s emerging artists in the epic love story between Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan hero Aeneas, was refined and polished.
Jasmine Flicker
This new style production, with the interesting arrangements of Purcell’s score, and additional Purcell music, stressed the nautical theme which makes sense as Aeneas arrived by ship from Troy and then sails off to found Rome. The Purcell music added to the work included the mesmerising So! When the glitt’ring Queen of Night which enhances Aeneas’ inner turmoil about leaving Dido.
For the Longborough Emerging Artists and Youth Chorus, under chorus master Will Sharma, this was a celebratory evening. As well as entering into the fun of the reimagining of this evening we enjoyed some beautiful singing from soprano Camilla Seale as Dido, with a suitably elegant and mournful When I am laid in earth. The fine rich baritone of Sam Young looked and sounded a youthful heroic Aeneas and there was a particularly engaging performance from soprano Jasmine Flicker as Belinda. The fine young mezzo-soprano Lydia Shariff was a great Sorceress splendidly supported by enchantresses Lara and Myrna Tennant. There were further opportunities in the post opera party described by Eike as Dido’s wake. Samantha Hargreaves and Megan O’Neill acted and sang charmingly as Dido’s cousins and, along with Tomos Owen Jones, also entertained us in the post opera “wake” with a jolly Welsh song.
Sam Young and Steven Player
It formed a delightful end to the Longborough season and an effective showcase for the company’s work beyond what the audience normally sees on the stage.
This has been a very diverse season for Longborough that rightly has established its laurels thanks to its Wagner productions. It augurs well for the future – including a return to Wagner in 2026 and then also in 2027
https://lfo.org.uk/opera/dido-and-aeneas
Images by Matthew Williams-Ellis
Longborough Festival Opera’s 2026 season comprises Orlando, Tristan und Isolde, Macbeth and Hänsel und Gretel. Details on the Longborough Festival Opera website:
https://lfo.org.uk/news/announcing-our-2026-festival
Longborough 2025 productions:
