Opera Australia is at war with its Carmen team
mainThe production team behind OA’s celebrated outdoor Carmen has lashed out at the company for not inviting them back to supervise this week’s revival.
Director Gale Edwards, set designer Brian Thomson and costume designer Julie Lynch have issued the following statement:
It is beyond our comprehension how any professional company or artistic director would exclude the core creatives in such an important revival, especially when we have made multiple overtures to the Company offering our services to remount this much-acclaimed interpretation of CARMEN.
Therefore, we advise that we cannot guarantee the work’s integrity, or that the public will see the production as it was originally intended to be.
OA says: It is common practice around the globe that directors are very rarely engaged to remount their original productions, and even more rare for set or costume designers.
Who’s right?
Both sides.
Jonathan Miller complained for years that ENO never asked him back for revivals. ENO said they could not afford it, even though Miller lives a short bus ride away (and has a senior bus pass).
Sydney, by dint of distance, might have to pay a fortune to reassemble the original production team. Still, they have a right to make sure their work is well presented.
No easy solution here.
“Sydney, by dint of distance, would have to pay a fortune to reassemble the original production team.”
Why? Edwards, Thomson and Lynch are all local.
Unless they have a contract stating they must be involved with any revival, why must the team be invited back (re-employed)?