Now in its fourth revival, Jonathan Miller's production of Carmen is standing the test of time.
He sets Bizet's violent story in the poverty and decay of 1930s Spain, and creates a world in which Don JosÈ's pathological machismo and murder of Carmen seem entirely plausible. The brutal spirit of Franco is never far off, and you can almost smell the rubbish in the streets.
Sara Fulgoni sings the title role beautifully, spinning gorgeous rich sounds out into the auditorium with ease and modulating every phrase with care and intelligence. But her acting is
less successful: she hasn't yet found a key to the still centre of Carmen's violence, and physically she's even gawky. John Hudson's Don JosÈ (pictured with Fulgoni) is no better, and he doesn't compensate with the same beauty of sound. The evening lacks dramatic bite, though things perk up when Peter Coleman-Wright is on. He has great presence and good, powerful tone - his Escamillo is a deliciously vulgar, arrogant creation.
David Atherton's fine conducting is another compensation.
In rep until Jul 10 (next perf tonight), Coliseum, St Martin's Lane WC2, 7pm, £8 to £70. Tel: 020 7632 8300. www.eno.org Tube: Charing Cross
