Carmen
King’s Head Theatre, London

BIZET’S Carmen – an opera which explores the tribulations of its eponymous heroine and the two men who vie for her affections – has been stripped down to its bare essentials in this contemporary retelling by Mary Franklin and Ashley Pearson.

In their version, we first meet Carmen (Ellie Edmonds), a low-paid hospital cleaner on a fag break and Jose (Roger Paterson), also toiling on a zero-hours contract. Swiftly becoming interested in each other, after an altercation with their employer they escape from a life of tedium and hit the road.

Then arrives Escamillio (Dan D’Souza), a strapping Arsenal player who falls for Carmen and sets the proverbial cat among the operatic pigeons.

The rivalry between these jealous suitors are counterpoised by Carmen’s strong and independent spirit, invoked skilfully here by Edmonds, who never lets them forget they’re both entirely dispensable.

But this doesn’t quite save her from Jose’s gradually worsening violence which builds — cleverly, but depressingly — to an all-too-predictable finale.

The plot canters swiftly through songs which, even if you’re not familiar with the opera, you’ll recognise from films, radio and television. They’re wittily and cleverly performed in English, allowing the audience a greater level of interaction with the drama and David Eaton and Juliane Gallant do a remarkable job in conveying Bizet’s rich musicality with the aid of just two keyboards.

If going to the opera isn’t normally how you’d spend your evenings, this performance is a good place to start if you want to try something new.

Runs until March 9, box office: kingsheadtheatre.com