Niamh O’Sullivan, ENO’s Soldier Chorus, Carmen production photo taken on October 6 2025 at ENO, London Coliseum, © Ellie Kurttz
ENO / Clelia Cafiero
The Coliseum, London, October 8, 2025
Calixto Bieito’s production of Carmen is now 26 years old, having first been staged in 1999 (in Girona, Spain). Described as “one of the most bankable” productions of, let’s face it, one of the most bankable of operas, it has been mounted and adapted in legion opera houses. This is its fifth incarnation (the first was in 2012) at ENO, directed competently as in 2023 by Jamie Manton. By curious chance, the only returning cast member from two-and-a-half years ago is Niamh O’Sullivan, then Mercédès—part of the delightful gypsy comedy duo—but now the sultry, sexy title turn herself.
The role of Carmen dominates the opera even more than Violeta does in Traviata, or Tosca. In the rare moments when not on stage, her latent presence is pervasive. O’Sullivan caught the heroine’s physical demeanour superbly, vocally assured (despite the slightly awkward translation still in use, which hampered some other singers), relishing Bizet’s cornucopia of tunes to depict Carmen’s flirty, flighty nature, but with an inner steel that enables her to dominate her surroundings, and thrive in the alternately brutal, lecherous, and misogynistic world she inhabits (the not-so-imaginary, one suspects, Spain of the late Franco years). There is a vulnerable side to her character, too, though seen only on the occasions when she is hit by her lover, Don José, sung here powerfully by this year’s Critics’ Circle Music Section Male Voice Award-winner, John Findon. There is a deep-seated fragility to Don José, too, and Findon acted his transformation from emotionally slumbering mother’s boy in thrall to the army to Carmen’s cast-aside lover and black-marketeer with passion and presence.
A rare moment of tenderness for John Findon and Niamh O’Sullivan, Carmen production photo taken on October 6 2025 at ENO, London Coliseum, © Ellie Kurttz
The lesser roles were generally impressive. Standing out in particular were Ava Dodd, no pushover as José’s former hometown sweetheart Micaëla, and Jolyon Loy as the whip-cracking corporal, Moralès. Harriet Eyley and Siân Griffiths provided keen light relief as Carmen’s gypsy buddies Frasquita and Mercédès. Cory McGee as the charismatic toreador Escamillo was silky smooth if underpowered in his signature aria. A shout-out to Livia Ciriaci, very engaging as Mercédès’ young daughter. As ever, the bedrock of this performance was provided by the excellent ENO Chorus—supplemented by a squad of thirteen actors, and the Marlborough Primary Schools Chorus—and ENO’s wonderful Orchestra, well marshalled by Clelia Cafiero. There were a few moments of imprecision, largely down to first-night nerves, I suspect.
Hail to the Toreador! Cast of ENO’s Carmen, production photo taken on October 6 2025 at ENO, London Coliseum, © Ellie Kurttz
Alfons Flores’ rather minimalist set designs still hold up well (despite some noisy mistreatment), as do Mercè Paloma’s costumes and Marc Rosette’s realisation of Bruno Poet’s original atmospheric lighting. There is an undeniably tauter, edgier feel to the staging this time round, the result, I think, of a refocusing of the fight scenes and violence (bordering on brutality) at its heart, presumably occasioned by ENO’s Intimacy and Fight Director, Haruka Kuroda. Ageing it may be, all-in-all it still packs quite a punch.
Carmen plays for a further nine performances at The Coliseum: on October 11, 15, 17, and 23 under Clelia Cafiero’s baton; on October 25, 29, 31 and November 3 and 5 directed by former ENO Mackerras Conducting Fellow Olivia Clarke (who also conducted one of the performances in the 2023 run).