(Orphée aux Enfers)

Content: Orphée aux Enfers, Offenbach's riotous parody of the dissipations of French life in the Second Empire, fairly gallops past in this 1997 Herbert Wernicke production staged at the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Based on Offenbach's meatier second version (1874) of the Orpheus legend, it features nicely judged performances across the board and some stunning special effects, notably the explosive locomotive crash signalling the breach of the divide between Heaven and Hell. Satire reigns, not least in the reactionary figure of Public Opinion, a pinny-clad bossy boots with a hint of Dame Edna Everage about her. Olympus is a moribund salon full of bored Gods, sick of the Ambrosian diet.

Countries:

Belgium

Genres:

Music

Runtime:

120 minutes

Year:

1997

Directors:

Herbert Wernicke

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Production companies:

Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie,

Arthaus Musik

Actors:

Orphée

Eurydice

Jupiter

Astrée-Pluton

Cupidon

Crews:

Original Music Composer

Writer

Original Story

Director

Director