Incredible design and directing but despite great moments, the different elements don’t gel with each other
‘Angel’s Bone’, the English National’s Opera new piece exploring a couple who kidnap two angels and pimp them out, looks and sounds beautiful. In terms of the costume, the angel wings and plain clothing in the opening were especially striking. The switch to business suits and glamorous dresses as Mrs X.E (Allison Cook) walks in with her laptop is genuinely disorienting, in a good way. When the angels have their feathers plucked by Mr. X.E (Earl Clarke) and Mrs. X.E, the stripped, skeletal remains of their wings are impressively unnerving to look at, especially the little branches coming off the bones. The vivid lighting against the plainness of the set walls makes the X.Es’ house feel hollow and empty in a way that reflects their morality. The drums sound absolutely fantastic, and the strings in particular are uneasy and unsettling. The live music really adds to the feeling of immersion.
Director Kit Miller’s use of screens and projections filmed live by camera operators onstage is one of the better attempts to do so in recent theatre, energising ‘Angel’s Bone’ and highlighting the surreality of it all. The rotating stage, with technicians constantly coming onstage to move the sets around and replace them, works really well, creating a frantic energy throughout that means ‘Angel’s Bone’ is always entertaining
Generally, there are lots of really interesting ideas, and great moments, especially in the juxtaposition of supernatural and mundane elements. Mr X.E putting angel feathers in a bin bag is an early highlight. The rape of the angels is one of the most impactful, visceral scenes, with the mundanity of the bathroom setting really reinforcing the tragedy of their situation. Throughout, the performances of the two angels (Mariam Wallentin as Girl Angel and Matthew McKinney as Boy Angel) convey their pain and suffering clearly.
However, the characterisation is often weak, with it never really being made clear why anyone is doing the things they do. The X.Es seem to be doing very well for themselves despite their relationship struggles; the show seems to take for granted that the reasons for their actions are clear, but that’s not the case. We just don’t see enough of their relationship to understand their often contradictory motivations.
It’s occasionally suggested that part of the reason the two of them are growing apart is because of Mr X.E’s insecurity about his masculinity, but again this is never really explored; social media and celebrity are also raised, especially at the end of the play. The houseparty scene’s use of excess drinking and sex to vaguely gesture towards modern decadence is an overdone stereotype that comes across as a lazy cliche.
The central allegory feels confused at times, with the audience simultaneously alienated through various Brechtian techniques from the narrative and made complicit through the staging. The choice to have everyone stand up is intriguing, but doesn’t feel necessary. The ‘legendary’ motif feels clunky and tonally awkward. It’s not really clear why exactly ‘Angel’s Bone’ is actually an opera in the first place. Much of the dialogue seems more suited to a spoken delivery than being sung, which would have also had the added benefit of bringing out the more naturalistic elements of the performances and characterisation to further juxtapose them against the magical realism. Different elements, such as the Biblical references and the angel standing at the side of the stage for the entire opera watching what’s happening, are brought up or hinted at but never pay off. ‘Angel’s Bone’ prefers to hint at familiar symbols and archetypes than come up with anything new or unique to say, or even really commit to exploring its concepts. It should be said that a stronger conclusion would probably solve a lot of the problems in the play by bringing disparate elements together, rather than introducing new ones.
Fortunately, the show is really held up by its directing and design. It’s undeniably thrilling and effectively expresses the horror of what’s happening without ever coming across as exploitative. It’s only on the levels of theme and characterisation that it really starts to feel unfocused and fails to hold up to significant scrutiny.
Angel’s Bone runs at Aviva Studios until 16th May. Tickets here.