Benjamin Britten’s suicidal anti-heroine Phaedra is an anguished monologue, sung by Ruby Philogene recalling the events and repercussions of her lustful and fatal existence. Directed by Sophie Hunter and performed with the Ulster Orchestra, Phaedra was a unique operatic experience at the abandoned Necarne Castle. The audience wandered through the deserted horse stables before emerging into the horse arena to discover Phaedra, epic in scale, towering above. As she sang, the stage slowly turned, the transformation continuing as the dress slowly dissolved and disintegrated as Medea’s lethal poison seeped into the fated heroine.
Role: Assistant Director and Project Manager
Photography: Will O’Hare
Director: Sophie Hunter
Musical Director, Conductor & Sound Designer: Andy Staples
Assistant Director: Clementine Seely
Set and Costume Designer: Kirstie Macleod
Lighting Designer: Jake Knowles
Mezzo-Soprano: Ruby Philogene
Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra