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WNO’s Carmen Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff ★★★★I

BIZET’S Carmen was poorly received in its original day, but it’s arguably one of the most popular, accessible and iconic operas – most famous among its music being Habanera and Toreador Song.

The opera is the story of Carmen, a free spirit Gypsy woman and the dangerous line between love and obsession; gun running gangs and a sexy bull fighter are thrown in to the mix for good measure.

This Carmen has been moved to 1970s Central America where Leslie Travers’s curved set is truly cinematic at times.

During the first two acts it’s totally believable that there are working class Brazilian apartments behind those doors.

The colours are all muted browns and blues – even the usually glamour of a matador uniform is monochrome – the only colour coming at the denouement of the piece.

To be honest I didn’t understand why!

A Carmen for the ‘me too’ movement is too reductive, if you’re making a feminist Carmen why a 1970s setting?

While the setting is only slightly niggling, the cast more than makes up for it.

Julia Mintzer’s titular Carmen is sultry and modern, while Peter Auty’s Don Jose cuts a pathetic figure, traversing lovestruck, jealous and stalker boyfriend behaviour; even sharing a heartfelt duet with Welsh soprano Elin Pritchard as Micaela, the girl Don Jose probably should’ve married.

While New Zealand’s Phillip Rhodes is everything you’d want from a matador.

In a non-operatic role Gregory A Smith provides a little comedy as bar owner Lillas Pastia, while dancer Carmine De Amicis stands out (maybe it’s his long hair) in a non-singing role as ‘dancer’, and also assistant choreographer and dance captain.

The WNO orchestra is conducted by a youthful Harry Ogg, bringing Bizet’s music to bursting to life from the Overture until the end.