CRITIC’S CHOICE

Steph Power

In opera, artistic and technological innovation have often been intertwined – and the Royal Opera House’s ‘hyper-reality opera experience’ Current, Rising (pictured above) proved a breathtaking contemporary example, inspired by the liberation of Ariel at the close of The Tempest. Donning a virtual-reality headset alongside three fellow travellers, I marvelled at the dark, ominous, ecstatic beauty of the aural-visual world I found myself inside. An enthralling glimpse of possible operatic futures from composer Samantha Fernando, director Netia Jones and the team.