Susanna review – Opera North’s arresting take on Handel’s proto-#MeToo tale

Leeds Grand theatreDance, sign language, outstanding singing and precise orchestral playing all illuminate this powerful tale of gendered violence and abuses of powerFew works mark the change from the friskiness of Italian opera to the sobriety of English oratorio like Handel’s Susanna. Premiered in 1749, its focus on female chastity took a swipe at a perceived decline in sexual morals, yet with a #MeToo story front and centre it offers ripe material for the modern age.The story, taken from the Book of Daniel, concerns the happily married Susanna who falls victim to two lustful Elders while her husband is away on business. Rebuffed, the predatory pair accuse her of an illicit sexual liaison, condemning her to death until the youthful prophet Daniel – originally a boy soprano – proves they are lying. Continue reading...

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Paul Mescal is better than ever in The History of Sound – but I wanted more

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