“Exceptionally exquisite vocals elevated by innovative staging underneath a British icon.”
Dido and Aeneas has an origin story as convoluted and ambiguous as an ancient Greek plot. It’s an opera afforded a great deal of interpretation and tonight has proven to be sensational.
Performed underneath the great hull of the Cutty Sark- the world’s last remaining tea clipper- Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras has put on a performance of a lifetime. A truly fitting site-sympathetic piece linked to seafaring: Dido and Aeneas revolves around the Trojan fleet getting tossed about the Mediterranean, involving shipwrecks, storms, sailors and shanties (and that’s only the half of it). Furthermore, The production is started off by a funeral procession to composer Henry Purcell’s Funeral Sentences, originally commissioned for Queen Mary II- herself the commissioner of the Royal Hospital in Greenwhich, moments away from where we are seated.
As is wont with opera, it assumes you already know the plot, and there are no subtitles to assist tonight, though the libretto is in English. Dido (played by Karima El Demerdasch) is an exiled Queen, now ruling the ancient city of Carthage. Aeneas (played by Hubert Zapiór) has fled Troy, having been beaten by the Greeks. He is on his way to establish Rome but gets blown of course, landing in Dido’s Carthage, where he inevitably falls in love. However it is not meant to be: the gods remind him of his duty and he leaves Dido heartbroken. Not one to settle for this, she arranges for the gods to torment him before she (spoiler alert) commits suicide.
Where this show excels beyond a simple recital is its spectacular staging, led by Andrew Staples. All performers are dressed in fantastic costumes- distressed and tatty funereal suits. They look like they have manually clawed their way out of their own graves. Dusty white facepaint with black eye sockets complete the sickly pallbearer aesthetic. Dido is dressed in a black leather minidress with billowing white chiffon sleeves; Aeneas in all black with ebony fur coat and short blonde curls- they would definitely get into Berghain. The audience split either side of the hull as though almost in traverse staging, watching as the funeral dirge makes its way up to the main staging area in front of the huge historical figureheads from vessels gone by. It is an excellently kinetic show, with soloists, musicians and ensemble all mingling into a dark harmonic mélange.
The Montevderdi choir is the slickest, most angelic choir it is possible to hear. Favoured by King Charles III for his coronation, we can hear why. Their harmonies are precise and ethereal, combined with expressive storytelling. A particularly interesting mention must go to Elodie Brzustowski who plays the acoustic guitar and the theorbo (a huge lute-type instrument). She deftly switched between these two instruments so seamlessly it almost became a game to catch her in the act. Karima El Demerdasch and Hubert Zapiór play the two leads exquisitely; their love for each other as compelling as the sorrowful melodies expressing their grief and trauma.
The overall atmosphere is a surreal mix of a Nightwish music video meets the best Nordic Eurovision entry you’ve ever seen (complimentary). The uniquestaging of the production underneath an iconic British monument is nothing short of spectacular. Elevated by quite possibly the best choir in the world, they could make a fast food menu sound saintly. Clever use of percussion, movement and costume all add strong visuals that bring opera firmly into a frenetic modernity rarely seen with baroque pieces.
Dido and Aeneas was performed twice on 21st May 2026 at the Cutty Sark London as part of the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra’s 2026 season.