On Wednesday 26th February 2020 Y9, 10 and 11 students from The Grange School took their first trip to the English National Opera production of Madam Butterfly along with a group of staff who were also experiencing the art form for the first time.
This production, directed by Anthony Minghella, combines minimal scenery with puppeteers and dancers to create a beautiful experience. The students all enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to their next music trip.
Year 9 student Louise wrote this review of the evening.
A group of Grange students embarked on a trip to London to see Madam Butterfly, and we were delighted with the results, as the story was elegant and emotive. We travelled on Wednesday 26th February, the performance starting at 7.30 and ending at 10.30.
The ENO production of Puccini’s infamous story could only be described as exquisite: with trained operatic actors telling the timeless portrayal of traditional Japanese styled choreography and puppeteers expressing emotion through their work, themselves never seen throughout the performance as they are all dressed in black; they blend into the stage and walls – only when the puppet is spotlighted do they come into vision.
There were many dancers of different styles of choreography, following the themes of contemporary and traditional Japanese fan dancing.
A colossal thank you to Mrs Kirk, and all the staff members who joined us, for arranging the trip, and we all very much enjoyed it!
The Grange School Music 