Stellar interlaced cast of both amateurs and professionals let down by a not-so-stellar direction
Noah’s Flood was similar to the biblical myth: through it, Benjamin Britten, the composer returned to a purer form of art, similar to the Chester Miracle plays from the 14th century when ordinary, untrained performers put together a show for their besotted ones. But the production, similar to the catastrophic event, suffered from a watery chaos of uninspired choices.
There is something endearing about young children performing together with established actors and musicians to create a performance that transcends capabilities and experiences. And Noah’s Flood, staged for both Leeds and Manchester audiences is no exception. Over 200 performers in 180 carefully crafted animal costumes and a youth orchestra that used different unique instruments (such as wind machines, bugles and organs) were carefully conducted by Nicholas Chalmers. That was magical as it emphasized the unity of a community, and also demonstrated how music and theatre can go hand in hand. The score by Benjamin Britten has touching moments and there was definitely a lot of thought in creative inclusive performance with the lyrics (in Medieval English) on screens. Besides some sounds issues (especially with the microphones) and the occasional slipups, everything sounded harmonious – almost in a perfectly imperfect way. A lot of care was put into the costumes as well – although there was such a shame that they were not displayed in such a way in which I could have seen them more than a couple of seconds.
The production space acted like a blank canvas and I was slightly disappointing with the creative output that was product. The projections were not coherent and I did not feel like the important moments were marked accordingly. A cacophony of shapes, colours and movement happened on screen leaving me wanting a bit more structure and creativity and direction. Occasionally, I felt that the performances of the “grown-ups” (The Voice of God, Noye, and Mrs. Noye) were a bit wooden and I wish the children were showcased a bit more, giving a chance to admire their costumes and their unique takes on different animals.
Overall, I enjoyed the charm of a cantata-opera, where professionals and amateurs join forces to convey a message of hope, resilience, and resourcefulness. I applaud the creative risk taken, and I hope that this will not be the last time we see a community-led initiative where people demonstrate that music is not always a matter of experience.