⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lauren Michelle as The Artist in The Shell Trial | Credit: Marco Borggreve

A sell out run of Dutch National Opera’s ‘Opera Forward Festival’ centred around the world premiere of American composer Ellen Reid’s work The Shell Trial. Based on the play De zaak Shell by Anoek Nuyens, Rebekka de Wit, Frascati Producties and De Nwe Tijd, The Shell Trial represents the voices in the climate debate. The idea stems from an ongoing high-profile Dutch trial, holding oil giant Shell responsible for its contribution to climate change.

In their opera, Ellen Reid, along with librettist and collaborator Roxie Perkins, masterfully conveyed the multiple voices involved in the climate debate. Having come together once before to create the acclaimed opera  p r i s m  (2018) the impact of The Shell Trial was testament to these two women’s creative synergy.

The opera begins with a plea from The Artist, played by Lauren Michelle, whose commanding stage presence and gleaming soprano created the ideal space of listening. The compositional tone was immediately cinematic, with animation adding to the otherwise bleak set design. Michelle manipulated files underneath a projector, blowing up official documents onto the back of the stage.

The auditorium remained dimly lit throughout, only descending into true operatic darkness for the operas ending, once a rack of spotlights had shone on the audience, accompanying an arresting choir of children’s voices.

The CEO followed, played by Audun Iversen. He was suitably detestable, holding many of the opera’s greatest comedic moments. Perkins’ genius in the libretto’s smugness combined with Reid’s choice for a sleazy musical colour as he protested about journalists at his door: ‘climate-death, biscuits-tea’.

The children's chorus in The Shell Trial | Credit: Marco Borggreve 

The story progressed with the appearance of The Government, played by a deceptively caring Claire Barnett-Jones, whose resonant tone and motherly command in the lines ‘cherish slowness’ perfectly captured the ineptitude of many governments when addressing the climate debate.

Next, Anthony León as The Consumer appeared, followed by an arresting Ella Taylor, in the role of The Activist, complete with tuneful yelling through a megaphone. Then Jasmin White, commanding the stage with their immensely rich tone as The Historian.

The works direction, by Gable Roelofsen and Romy Roelofsen, lost some sense of focus. The choice to use ‘Elders’, a group of seniors with roots in former Dutch colonies, created an uneasy addition, which perhaps was the purpose. Nonetheless, their interpretive dancing and strange movement, including shaking, did little for the production besides make a joke out of an otherwise powerful message.

Jasmin White as The Historian with The Elders to the left | Credit: Marco Borggreve 

Other directorial features, such as the inclusion of blocks of ice with embedded flowers and a burning greenhouse flame, were too short lived and lacked force. Surrounding this, however, were vocal performances so strong as to disregard any production confusion. Highlights included a soaring duet from Jasmin White and Ella Taylor, Carla Nahadi Babelegoto’s petition as The Climate Refugee and the moving scoring for the childrens’ chorus. The orchestra, consisting of Academists and members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra were ideal exponents of the score, led by an at times over-zealous Manoj Kamps.

With less than two years from commission of the idea to completion, the impact of Ellen Reid’s masterful score will doubtless endure the test of time within the climate debate. Here is a voice who showcases the cinematic and visual within orchestral colour, and has a rare innate understanding for operatic vocal writing. It is a production that requires finessing, yet has at its core two shining lights of opera.

Until 21 March | www.operaballet.nl​