REVIEW: BEN AND IMO. ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, SWAN THEATRE
The 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is fast approaching. To mark the occasion, Benjamin Britten has just nine months to write a new opera, Gloriana.
Ben and Imo explores a complex relationship during the time spent composing this new national opera. Their relationship is intense, asexual but incredibly emotional. Britten is gay, in a long-term relationship with the tenor Peter Pears.
Skilfully directed by Erica Whyman, in this electrifying two-hander Samuel Barnett plays the brooding tortured genius Britten. Victoria Yeates his exuberant and passionate musical assistant Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav and an accomplished musician in her own right.
The performances are pitch perfect. Britten’s brooding selfish intensity and volatility is enhanced by Barnett’s physical characterisation. He’s petulant, full of bravado yet vulnerable to self-doubt, ready to explode at any time.
The contrast in their personalities is stark. Yeats captures Holst’s passion for music with a lightness that enchants. She dances and sings for Britten. Cajoling and managing his moods. They’re polar opposites yet united in their dedication to music.
Holst is willing to put Britten’s genius first putting aside her own needs. He of course doesn’t think twice about using her. Her input is critical to finishing Gloriana. Yet he takes her ideas but claims them as his own. He’s selfish and demanding.
There is at times a tenderness between them. Holst gently embraces Britten, soothing away his self-doubts. Their ease with each other on display as they drink rum and Drambuie laughing together as he plays the music of dead German composers and she dances wildly.
In contrast early on Britten gives a stark warning that he pulls people in, enchants them, then cruelly pushes them away. His selfish genius is on full display in a breathtakingly brutal scene where Barnett unleashes that full force vitriol to great effect. Despite initially crushing her she chooses to stay. Becoming a pillar of the Aldeburgh Festival for many years.
Mark Ravenhill’s play is passionate, intense yet also incredibly witty. There are barbed comments on politicians, the royals and artists’ cliques. It provides laugh out loud moments. Particularly in relation to the royals lack of interest in opera and the arts – “Their gloved hands may clap but they make no sound”.
The themes of duty and subsidies for the arts are recurring. It explores questions such as are all geniuses are tortured and selfish? Along with the willingness of women to put others first.
Soutra Gilmour’s simple but effective set is dominated by the presence of a grand piano. It’s shadow looms large over the stage echoing the pressure to complete Gloriana in such a short time. Thanks to the use of music composed by Conor Mitchell and a fantastic sound seascape you can almost taste the salty air and smell the damp coldness of Britten’s Aldeburgh home.
Ben and Imo is a tour de force. It’s an opportunity to see fantastic actors who spark off each other. Their chemistry is electrifying. It’s also incredibly moving and funny. Don’t miss it. On at the Swan Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon until April 6th.
