A gothic feast for the eyes with some very fine singing: Gothic Opera in the UK premiere of Halévy’s La Dame de Pique

Halévy: La Dame de Pique – Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]

Fromental Halévy: La Dame de Pique; Grace O’Malley, James Hutchings, Sam Utley, Charlie Epps, Alice Usher, director: Jonny Danciger, conductor: Hannah von Wiehler, arranger: Leon Haxby; Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre
Reviewed by Saskia Bibb, 29 October 2026

For this year’s Halloween production from Gothic Opera, we are in the last days of the Ancien régime to
witness the havoc wreaked by a pact with the devil — a legend of a magic ring and the three secret cards that
guarantee success at the gambling tables. 

Musically it is a triumph. Halévy’s opera lives up to its billing as an
inexplicably neglected gem and the cast is a treasure trove of vocal talent. It is visually compelling:
atmospheric sets, glorious costumes and clean, effective blocking. The drama falls down a little, with some
clunky acting and the rather on-the-nose adapted dialogue.

We are first introduced to foreman of the miners, Andre Roskaw, played by Charlie Epps, and Lisanka, the
governor’s daughter whom he aspires to marry if he can get enough money together, played by Alice Usher.
Usher’s commanding, dramatic voice is put centre stage as she explains the Polowska family legend. In her
interactions with other characters she is less convincing though, in particular her dialogue is rather stilted.
Epps’s light, youthful baritone has a gentle and honest timbre that is a real gift to his characterisation of
André, giving him an earthy, authentic quality. To start with his portrayal is naturalistic (his dialogue is
impressively so given the rather crude material) but as the darkness within triumphs, Epps can see that only a
healthy dose of melodrama will do. If you can’t pull out all the stops when driven mad by an ancient curse in
a Halloween opera, then when can you?

Halévy: La Dame de Pique – Grace O’Malley, Charlie Epps – Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]

Lieutenant Constantin is the first to arrive on the scene, played by James Hutchings. He is the upright,
chivalric figure that a good gothic yarn needs, convincingly portrayed with oratorical spoken delivery and a
deeply romantic voice — at times softly caressing, at time bursting with passion. Hutchings’s spinning sound
has impressive ease at the top, indeed the top C sounded so comfortable that I hope to hear him at even more
stratospheric heights in the future.

Next to arrive is the delightfully ludicrous figure of Prince Zizianow, our comedy villain played by Sam Utley. He is certainly a
caricature, but he is very funny, with something of the emigré from Blackadder the Third about him. Vocally
he brings contrast to the group, much more hearty and booming than the other male characters, but stamina
seems to have been an issue — there was some huskiness by Act Three.

Grace O’Malley gives the standout performance of the evening as Princess Polowska, the owner of the
Chateau, and keeper of the secret of the cards. Her top notes have an icy brilliance and her coloratura is
outstanding — clean and sparkling. Rather than delivering the acrobatics as a party trick, O’Malley pays
great attention to maintaining the sense of the words through the florid lines. She is certainly one to watch.
Dramatically she oozes gravitas and her dialogue has the crisp, tinkling intonation of a fairytale. Her
wonderfully vulnerable aria in the mines added depth to her proud, poised character.

Halévy: La Dame de Pique – Sam Utley – Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]

These strong vocal performances did not always cohere into a compelling drama. This is partly due to the
dialogue, an English adaptation by director Johnny Danciger, which is devoid of subtlety. It reads like a
child’s guide to the French Revolution. That said, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the line “Christ on
a chaise longue!”. Perhaps struggling with this material, some of acting was less than convincing, in
particular many of the spoken exchanges between characters were stiff. The love story between Constantin
and the Princess is beautifully set up in the first act, but flounders when it reaches the dramatic climax, in
which sparks were emphatically not flying. Elsewhere, the comic timing was often a frustrating hair’s
breadth off.

Visually it all works brilliantly. As set and costume designer, Céleste Langrée deserves high praise. The sets
are extremely well thought through. We open in the Princess’s Chateau, economically suggested by three
portraits and small drawing room set-up. The space is deep and tiered, lending intimacy to the front platform,
and a supernatural aura to events happening way up and back on the top platform. We then move to the
mines, evoked mostly by darkness, smoke, and mining lanterns. It is fantastically spooky, and the
architecture of the sets work well for sneaking around, creating a sense of dark corners and winding tunnels.
Onto this, Danciger deploys his forces well: the well-considered blocking gives us grand and striking
tableaus. For costumes we are treated to luxurious French Revolution period dress, from wigs and satins to
tricolour rosettes and sans-culottes. In the gothic surroundings of Battersea Arts Centre, it is quite something.
It is an amazingly ambitious set up for a small company (not least the moving surtitles), Gothic Opera
certainly punch above their weight when it comes to production value.

Halévy: La Dame de Pique – Alistair Sutherland, Alice Usher – Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]

Underpinning all of this was an opera that hasn’t been staged in 150 years. The proposition at the heart of the
production is that Halévy’s opera deserves some love, and they have a point. It does contain some really very
good writing, not in the same league as the greats of 19th century opera, but, in places, not all that far off.
Perky, jaunty tunes in the ensembles call to mind moments from Carmen (Bizet was a student of Halévy),
and at its most lush it does have something of Puccini about it. It is strange that it has been quite so
neglected, and one can only hope it doesn’t have to wait another 150 years for its next outing.

The ensembles exhibit some of Halevy’s best writing, and relishing these was a superb chorus. They make a
rich, full sound, it is hard to believe there are only seven of them, and the diction is crystal clear. Each
member is clearly an accomplished soloist in their own right, and their strong characterisations contribute
significantly to the momentum of the drama.

The orchestral score has been arranged for chamber ensemble by Leon Haxby. It’s unrelentingly exposed
with such small forces, but the instrumentalists are equal to the challenge and shine in their many lyrical solo
moments. Hannah von Wiehler conducts with precision, but with space for much more wild abandon in the
more passionate sections.

Halévy: La Dame de Pique – Grace O’Malley – Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]

Opening night drew an impressively large crowd, and the reception was warm. Thanks in no small part to
Andrew Lloyd Webber, opera has a strong link with the gothic in the public imagination. If opera houses
want to attract new audiences, perhaps they should lean into the Halloween season. Based on tonight, a
spooky night at the opera seems to be a winning proposition.

Saskia Bibb

Gothic Opera presents

La Dame de Pique

Composed by: Fromental Halévy

Adapted dialogue by: Jonny Danciger

Libretto by: Eugéne Scribe

Creative Credits

Stage Director: Jonny Danciger
Conductor: Hannah von Wiehler
Arranger: Leon Haxby
Set & Costume Designer: Céleste Langrée
Technical Design: Jonny Danciger
Co-Lighting Designer: Eli Hunt
Producer: Maryann Wright

Cast

Princess Polowska: Grace O’Malley
Constantin Nelidoff: James Hutchings
Prince Zizianoff: Sam Utley
André Roskaw: Charlie Epps
Lisanka: Alice Usher
Klaremburg: Alistair Sutherland
Sowbakin: HoWang Yuen
Casino Banker: William Costello
Chorus: Persha Darling, Naomi Kilby, Mia Serracino, Rebecca Anderson, Isobel Hughes, Charles Secombe, William Costello.

Battersea Arts Centre, Main Hall