Der Vampyr

Opera with Teeth

Der Vampyr

by Heinrich August Marschner, arranged by Kelly Lovelady, libretto adapted by Julia Mintzer and Charles Ogilvie

Gothic Opera, part of the Grimeborn Festival at Arcola Theatre, Dalston until 17^th August

Review by Patrick Shorrock

This year’s Grimeborn Festival gets off to a splendid start with this revival of Gothic Opera’s production of Marschner’s Der Vampyr.   Marschner is described as a missing link between Weber and Wagner, but is a lot closer to the former than the latter. That said, the tartan, the enforced wedding, the lavish coloratura, and big ensembles remind me less of Der Freischütz  and more of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, which didn’t receive its first performance until seven years after Der Vampyr.

The music has a slightly brittle charm and the focus tends to be on ensembles rather than arias.  Conductor Kelly Loveday’s witty arrangement for a small band included whistles and a sousaphone (a relative of the tuba), and was an imaginative delight, looking forward to Mahler as well as back to Weber.

The music may not be in the same league as Lucia, where laughs are in much shorter supply, but is a piece that isn’t spoilt by having a bit of fun with it.  Gothic Opera kicks toxic masculinity in the balls, but with a twinkle in its eye along with (rather too many) demonic cackles.  You could say that director Julia Mintzer went a bit far with a feminist reworking of the ending, buckets of blood, a ginormous teddy bear, and a set that consists basically of a coffin.  But this is far better that than treating this neglected piece with kid gloves, which would have killed it faster than anything.  I wish it had been easier to catch the new dialogue (in English with sung German) by Charles Ogilvie who also designed the sets and costumes and it’s a shame that the surtitles are impossibly small to read if you are sitting on the sides towards the front.

But these are small niggles and don’t prevent a talented cast from creating an impact. Giuseppe Pellingra with his long hair, unbuttoned shirt and cool shades perhaps has more rock star charisma than vocal heft in the title role.  Jack Roberts wields a fine tenor in the slightly thankless role of Aubrey, his rival for Malvina, played by Milena Knauß, who makes the most of her coloratura opportunities as the heroine.  Connall O’Neil displays a good voice as the oppressive father keen to marry his daughter off to the Vampire – no questions asked as he had an aristocratic title – and Madeleine Todd and Amber Reeves do a nice job with the Vampire’s other victims.

I look forward to Gothic Opera’s next offering at the Battersea Arts Centre for Halloween.

Patrick Shorrock, August 2024

Photography by Craig Fuller