I have no clue. There's opera, there's contemporary interpretive ballet in the background, Handel's gorgeously, galloping music, a classical- Dali-esque landscape. Plot - I've lost it! But it's opera?! It calls for in the style of a live tweet -
- There is interpretive dance (contemporary ballet style) - who are these people? There is also a deer on stage. No i-deer why that's there either!
- Maybe these are nymphs as in the style of a Claude painting, but all dancing around Wayne McGregor style. Sometimes wrestling? Impressively lithe and bendy.
- One of them is Steven McRae!
- Galatea has stunning Rapunzel/Tangled hair.
- Galatea is waiting for Acis to turn up.
- Galatea has a sympathetic nymph to sing to.
- Acis does turn up - he is a Sherlock shepherd look-alike!
- Acis is really bad at finding Galatea - she's behind you!
- Galatea and Acis are reunited!
- They are happy! So are their interpretative dance nymphs!
- There's a giant, who looks like Wolverine if he let himself go - Polyphemus.
- But the giant does have a superior interpretative dance nymph.
- This isn't going to end well. Wolverine/the giant likes Galatea. Galatea is not impressed with the giant's literal pulling technique - he's creepy! And he's not shepherd Sherlock!
- Whittling on stage - in an opera! Acis is going to fight the giant.
- Random singing shepherd friend of Sherlock's on stage - and some nymphs. Acis's mate wants a Galatea of his own... There is romance!
- The saddest death scene - Acis and Galatea sing happily and beautifully about how they're never going to be parted - Wolverine giant hits Acis over the head with a stone. Helped by his superior interpretative dancing nymph. Boooo....
- The giant disappears - who knows what happens to him?
- Galatea is distraught - a whole choir is now on stage! One of Galatea's helpful nymph's passes flowers throughout the choir into a bath where Acis is. What will happen next?
- Galatea has brought Acis back to life magically - he is now the interpretative dancer of the fountain!
- Strictly Come Acis and Galatea....
Tho I joke, the music and singing is amazing. Danielle de Niese is wonderful throughout, always acting her heart out; the giant was also a fantastic actor too. Some of the interpretive dance was confusing and distracting, some of it was incredibly beautiful and bendy! The giant's sidekick interpretative dancer was the best tho. Just the plot!
*Here's the actual plot from the ROH website if it helps! Galatea, a half-divine nymph, is in love with the shepherd Acis, and he with her. Their mutual happiness is evident to all. But Polyphemus, a giant, is also in love with Galatea. She rejects his advances, and Acis challenges the giant. Enraged by the couple's professions of love, Polyphemus crushes Acis with a rock. Galatea is distraught, but uses her powers to give Acis immortality, turning him into the god of a fountain.*
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