REVIEW: PETER GRIMES @ THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

🎭 Peter Grimes

📍  The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR

🗓 Saturday 7th June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TURBULENT AS THE SEA

80 Years to the day it was first performed, Benjamin Britten’s salt laden tragedy PETER GRIMES is brought to us by the Welsh National Opera. Bleak and glittering as a winter sea this pared back, atmospheric production brilliantly portrays life in a small fishing community. Rife with superstition and religion, daily battles with the relentless sea to scrape a living create an insular, judgmental mindset.

Against this backdrop we meet Peter Grimes, fisherman and loner. He is called to a Coroner’s court to account for his part in the death of his apprentice. The ensuing verdict of accidental death does not sit well with the rest of the community who have already dubbed him guilty. The whispering begins. 

Not all are set against him, however. Captain Balstrode, ex naval officer and the widowed school mistress, Ellen Orford offer a scenario of hope where Grimes marries Ellen and settles in the community. David Kempster’s Balstrode is one of my favourite characters. His warm baritone cutting through the shrill accusations to bring the voice of reason on more than one occasion. Sally Matthews brings a naïve, gushing, motherliness to her portrayal of Ellen. Poor Ellen who fails to acknowledge both Grimes and his unfortunate new apprentice, John, Maya Marsh, are already damaged beyond the reach of her care. 

Without doubt Nicky Spence is outstanding as Peter Grimes. His stunning tenor matched only by his ability to drag a reluctant empathy from his audience for Grimes’ tortured character. A masterclass in expression and stance, we feel his fleeting hope and crushing despair as the opera reaches its inexorable end. 

Under the sympathetic direction of Melly Still this production has many wonderful characters to enjoy and disgust! Dominic Sedgwick as the dodgy Apothecary and Sion Goronwy as the lecherous lawyer, Swallow are suitably horrible. Self-righteous gossip Mrs Sedley played by Catherine Wyn-Jones and religious bigot Bob Boles, Oliver Johnston, are unpleasantly familiar as is the ineffectual drunk Rector Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts. There is light relief with the worldly pub landlady Auntie, Dame Sarah Connolly, and her seductive “nieces” Eiry Price and Fflur Wyn. The wonderful WNO Chorus excels as the easily led inhabitants of Borough where mistrust of someone perceived as different turns to violent mob rule in a heartbeat. Best of all for me the Lads of the village whose swaggering and antics whilst doubling as stagehands changing the scenes and props is ingenious and amusing. A foil for the unfolding sadness. 

Chiara Stephenson’s minimal set and Malcom Rippeth’s lighting is ever changing as the sea itself, full of devices redolent of maritime life. Defining space with ropes, piers and capstans, the threat of the storm cone and the ever present ominous fishing boat. By some sorcery doors and windows, barely there, slam and the blue grey colours match Britten’s sweeping music perfectly. 

PETER GRIMES is not for the fainthearted, a harsh tale of persecution and inner torment that challenges its audiences to soul search about their own prejudices. Britten and his life partner Peter Pears were sadly both familiar with discrimination and alienation due to their sexuality and pacifism. Britten battled poor mental health as a young man. With parallels with today’s world that are hard to ignore we must ask ourselves do we go along with the crowd or think for ourselves? This is a fitting and memorable anniversary production. 

Rosie Sharman-Ward

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.

My ticket for this performance of Peter Grimes was gifted by Theatre Royal Plymouth who invited me to watch the show on behalf of Pink Prince Theatre in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Nicky Spence as Peter Grimes; Sally Matthews as Ellen Orford; David Kempster as Captain Baistrode; Dominic Sedgwick as Ned Keene; Oliver Johnston as Bob Bates; Dame Sarah Connolly as Auntie; Fflur Wyn as First Niece; Eiry Price as Second Niece; Catherine Wyn-Rogers as Mrs Sedley; Sion Goronwy as Swallow; Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts as Reverend; Callum Thorpe as Hobson; Helen Jarmany as Dr Crabbe; Maya Marsh as John; WNO Chorus as Townspeople and Fishermen

Dancers: Maya Marsh; Sarah Hirsch; Ellie McDonald; Kim Noble

RUNNING TIME (approx):

3 hours 25 minutes, including two intervals