Composer: Jacques Offenbach
Director: Max Hoehn
Stepping into Battersea Arts Centre’s cavernous Great Hall, the scene is immediately set for Gothic Opera’s latest, eerie production. The company is known for producing rarely heard operatic works with supernatural themes, and Die Rheinnixen fits perfectly within these categories. This is the first full staging of Die Rheinnixen (The Nixies of the Rhine) in the UK, and this production certainly leaves audiences wondering why.
Written in and inspired by the legend of the Rhine Maidens, mythological water spirits from German folklore, Die Rheinnixen was originally set in 1522 during the Ritterkrieg, one of the numerous conflicts fought in this time and region. Director Max Hoehn has set his production in the postwar chaos of the Weimar Republic. This brilliant adjustment works seamlessly, almost as if the piece was written for this setting. The opera tells the story of lost lovers Armgard and Franz amidst the terror of war surrounding the village.
A new orchestral arrangement by Leon Haxby has skillfully reduced the score for chamber orchestra, and alongside Hannah von Wiehler’s conducting, they have brought the score to life, creating a full musical language. There is excellent singing across the company, particularly from Hannah O’Brien. Leading the company as young Armgard, her vibrant soprano spins and she sings the coloratura with ease. She gives a deeply embodied and captivating performance.
Luca Panetta’s evocative lighting design fills the space and creates a stunning use of shadow. Isabella van Braeckel’s costume design supports the storytelling and world-building, and there is a real attention to detail in the making of every item. In particular, the Nixie’s costumes are striking and unexpected.
Isabella van Braeckel’s set utilises the unique space and texture of the Great Hall, generating the feeling that the theatre space and set are one. There does feel like a missed opportunity where the set could have evolved in the second act when the story travels into the forest.
The audience is set in the round, with the stage made up of a platform that circles the orchestra in the middle. This layout is visually interesting and creates a vastness, as well as making a balanced sound. However, having the orchestra so central occasionally steals focus from the action of the story.
Visuals inspired by German expressionist cinema and political poster art of the period and animated by Amber Cooper-Davies are projected on a large screen at the back of the stage. Overall, these work well as a backdrop to the story; however, the animated sequence used in Offenbach’s ballet is a clever idea that works dramaturgically but lacks impact.
Hoehn has curated an evocative and visually powerful world, albeit more cerebral than emotionally impactful. There are questions left unanswered, particularly around the role of the fairies and how the supernatural elements interact with the real world, but this is a tight production that deserves to be seen.
Runs until 2 November 2025
