Buxton Opera Festival review: Audience left transfixed at Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas

First performed in Paris in 1868, it was hugely popular in France then fell out of favour at the end of the nineteenth century until revived in Buxton in 1980. It was enthusiastically received by the 2025 Buxton audience.

The story roughly follows Shakespeare’s Hamlet, indeed Hamlet’s soliloquy largely follows Shakespeare’s text. But Ophelia has a much larger role, the plot is darker and the ending different.

The two principals: Gregory Feldmann as Hamlet and Yewon Han as Ophelia were brilliant and worked so well together. Ophelia’s mad scene lasts the whole of Act 4 and we were transfixed by Yewon Han’s accomplished soprano voice and skilled acting.

This production conveyed the threat and danger of the Danish court with silent masked figures pursuing, capturing and shooting dissidents. The chorus also conveyed this horror in their singing, formal choreography and uniform dress. The set was simple and just right: a set of steps conveying court hierarchy. The lighting too was darkly threatening. Overall there was a frighteningly modern note to this production.

Conducted by Adrian Kelly, the Opera North orchestra got this grand opera just right. The audience loved it.