Review: DAVID ET JONATHAS at Grand Théâtre

Our last performance of the month was the French opera David et Johathas, directed by Jean Bellorini. At the helm of a formidable cast of actors and musicians, Bellorini and his company crafted a memorable show with a uniquely layered narrative, that surely touched the hearts and minds of everyone in the audience. Its take on friendship and the many shades of love were portrayed in a deeply poetic way, never forgetting how the fate of such noble emotions are unwillingly tangled with the much darker sins of greed and blind ambition.

The gold: The dichotomy of realities. Two very distinct atmospheres are presented throughout the narrative. With the help of a moving stage, one of them introduces an entirely new perspective to the play, in which the roles of Jean-Christophe Lanièce and Hélène Patarot take a very interesting shift from the expected storytelling. Patarot’s softly spoken lines and her almost exclusive interaction with Lanièce will leave you wondering until well after the end of the show.

The silver: Gwendolin Blondeel. While it is hard to hand-pick from such a great cast, we thought we would leave a word of praised to Blondeel’s Jonathas. Given the story, just the casting choice alone was already fairly significant. But Blondeel delivered a profoundly heartfelt performance, displaying true versatility and a notorious vocal range.

The bronze: The group numbers. If you follow our reviews, you know we have a great appreciation for group numbers, but I’m afraid we must once again congratulate the company. The collective passion of the ensemble in both physical and vocal delivery really sold the show. The scenes when the armies are assembled are perhaps some of the best, allowing the play to build the tension to asphyxiating levels.

As usual, our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Photo Credit: Philippe Delval