WNO Migration At The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Review

Reviewed by Jane Warwick

An expanded Welsh National Opera orchestra joined by a cast of over 100 performers including the WNO Chorus, the Renewal Choir Community Chorus, Bollywood Dancers, and a children’s chorus presented an epic drama on a huge scale at the Mayflower theatre last night. This was not like any other opera I have been to!

Migrations is a very bold undertaking. Whereas most operas tell a single story, this one involves a series a six interwoven parallel story lines exploring the highs and lows of migration. It was very thought provoking, highly relevant and in parts contentious. It could have been very distressing, but the opera was based on that fact we are a migratory species spreading out from Africa and though the most recent migrations (in the last few hundred years) have been forced, some have occurred naturally. The use of birds and their natural migration played along with this and even with this showed a human connection and the effects we have had on nature.

The production was hugely complex as different librettists from different backgrounds wrote the six story lines whilst the music played a consolidating role, all having been composed by Will Todd.

The initial impetus for the original director Sir David Pountney to create Migrations was the anniversary in 2020 of the sailing of The Mayflower- a seminal event in the history of the United States which over time was to become the ‘Immigrant Nation’. The Mayflower sailed from Plymouth in 1620 carrying Separatists trying to escape persecution and prejudice and this ‘migration’ was one of the story lines that formed a collective narrative throughout the opera.
The opera weaves together this with other narratives that reflect different viewpoints and understandings of the movement of people from one place to another, what motivates them and what their reactions are. It dramatises six different stories related to this central theme. Four of these narrative strands are told in different interlocking scenes across the two halves of the performance and two stand alone stories form the centrepiece of each half. The interwoven stories refer to the voyage of the Mayflower; the plight of indigenous Cree Indians in Canada facing the destruction of their ancestral homelands (Treaty 6); the real-life story of Pero, a slave serving in a wealthy 18th century Bristol family (Flight, Death or Fog); and Birds who are able to migrate naturally. The stand-alone stories refer to modern refugees coping with the problems of language and identity (The English Lesson), and finally the experiences of two Indian doctors recruited to help build the NHS whilst being subjected to racism and prejudice. (This is The Life). All these topics are highly relevant today against the backdrop of ‘illegal’ migrants, the exploitation of the world’s natural resources, and modern slavery.

The opera is sung in English and the clear, powerful voices of the cast were easy to comprehend. They were aided using surtitles and section titles which meant that it was always easy to understand what was going on and what was being said. In my opinion, it would be very beneficial if many musicals adopted the same use of surtitles to aid comprehension!

The recurring story lines involved different actions taking place on stage at the same time and this could be confusing. For example, whilst Dawn (Marion Newman) is explaining the plight of the Cree Indians to the left of the stage, Pero (Kenneth Overton) was laying the table of his rich masters to the right. This seemed unnecessarily confusing but is a very minor gripe compared to the overall performance.

The second half of the opera contained some light relief with the Bollywood dancing and singing of the “This Is Life” set. In fact, this part was more like a musical than an opera and may offend some purists although I thought it a delight and helps break the stereotype of what an opera should be.

The quality of the singing and music was faultless, and it is difficult to pick out particular artists. However, Marion Newman (Dawn), Parvathi Subbiah (Nadine), Kenneth Overton (Pero), Felix Kemp (Adham) , Meeta Raval (Kadra) , Natasha Agarwal(Neera) and Jamal Zulfiqar (Jai) all deserve a mention for the leading roles they play in the different story lines.

The opera ends on both pessimistic and optimistic notes. On the one hand, the migratory birds that have accompanied us throughout the opera are unable to land on their normal rock due to flooding and the effects of global warming and all die, whilst the next migration to the stars and beyond is celebrated by the appearance of astronauts and their rocket.

All in all, a most thought provoking and entertaining production that pushed the boundaries of what we expect from an opera and provided a thoroughly enjoyable night at the theatre.

The Mayflower is an excellent venue and a deservedly popular theatre. It is the largest theatre on the South coast with over 2300 seats and the circle seat I was in gave an excellent view of the stage. There is a well- stocked bar and the facility to bring your drinks into the auditorium, plus a range of ice-creams and sweets which are often an essential ingredient for a theatre show. There is good parking and a good selection of restaurants within easy reach of the theatre making it the ideal place for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

Rating: 4.5/5

Tickets cost from £17 to £55

Migration was at Mayflower Theatre Southampton on 26th November. For further details of either WNO or other programmes at the Mayflower Theatre visit https://www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on or call 02380 711811.

Address of the Mayflower Theatre
22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE