A screening of this year's most talked-about Britten 100 event. Conceived and hosted by the Aldeburgh Festival, the performances of 'Peter Grimes' were directed by Tim Albery who placed the audience on the beach watching the opera unfold as dusk fades over the sea. As cast and audience are engulfed by darkness and the thunder of the sea, the connection between the world of Peter Grimes and the local community that branded him a murderer and hunted him down, is tangible.
The cast and chorus present the action on the double stage littered with rowing boats and other fishing paraphenalia. Alan Oke is superb in the title role, Giselle Allan is Ellen Orford, and David Kempster is Captain Balstrode. The singing is live with amplification, while the Britten-Pears Orchestra under Steuart Bedford is pre-recorded.
'Peter Grimes on Aldeburgh Beach' is atmospherically directed for cinema by Margaret Williams. Running time is 165 minutes, including one interval.