Opera North & Phoenix Dance Theatre: Susanna – Leeds Grand Theatre

On a night when Storm Amy lashed Leeds with wind and rain, Opera North’s Susanna offered a different kind of tempest — one of moral reckoning, emotional intensity, and artistic boldness. Handel’s oratorio, reimagined through opera and dance, became a mirror for society’s treatment of women, power, and truth. The audience, braving the elements, were rewarded with a production as courageous in its staging as it was timely in its themes.

Susanna belongs to a genre born of necessity and ingenuity. During Lent, staged operas were forbidden in 18th-century England, prompting Handel — ever the commercial opportunist — to pivot to oratorios. Though unstaged, these works were operas in all but name: dramatic, character-driven, and rich in musical storytelling. Susanna (1749) is a prime example, drawn from the Book of Daniel — a woman falsely accused of infidelity by two elders after rejecting their advances, ultimately vindicated when Daniel exposes their lies.

The chorus plays a more integral role here than in many of Handel’s operas, functioning almost like a Greek chorus — voicing societal judgment, highlighting emotional highs and lows, and shifting allegiances. Director Olivia Fuchs and choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, amplify this through gesture and movement, often to powerful effect. The Opera North Chorus — from which Claire Lees (Daniel) and Dean Robinson (Judge) were drawn — delivered with precision and emotional clarity, their choreographed fugues adding texture and urgency.

Zahra Mansouri’s set was stark and symbolic: bridal white, later pierced by red backlighting to evoke innocence, danger, and ritual. Daniel’s costume was a curious exception — a green outfit somewhere between Robin Hood and Papageno, perhaps signalling youth and justice.

Anna Dennis gave a performance of quiet power in the title role — emotionally fragile on the surface yet underpinned by strength and resolve. Even after her redemption, her Susanna remained haunted, until vengeance on the Elders brought catharsis. James Hall (Joacim) matched her beautifully in duets that bookended the story, their voices blending with tenderness and hope. Matthew Brook, as Chelsias, Susanna’s father, sang with rich warmth, grounding the drama in familial sincerity. Under the assured conductorship of Johanna Soller, the Opera North Orchestra delivered a performance of clarity and finesse, supporting the singers with crisp articulation and expressive depth — particularly in the oratorio’s more introspective passages.

The Elders, portrayed by Colin Judson and Karl Huml, were complex rather than caricatured — morally repugnant yet recognisably human. Their curtain call boos were earned, but their performances resisted pantomime villainy. The integration of dance, courtesy of Phoenix Dance Theatre, was a bold experiment — successful in parts, and always courageous in its ambition to deepen the emotional landscape.

As the storm outside subsided, Susanna left its own imprint — a tale of injustice weathered, truth reclaimed, and resilience honoured. Continuing its seasonal theme of strong female voices, Opera North has not merely retold a biblical story but reclaimed it. On a blustery night, this production stood as a beacon — of artistic bravery, moral clarity, and the enduring power of voice.

Susanna is performed at the Leeds Grand Theatre on 11th, 20th and 22nd October, before going on tour to Newcastle Theatre Royal (7th November), Lowry Salford Quays (14th November) and Theatre Royal, Nottingham (21st November).

Reviewer: Mark Humphreys

Reviewed: 4th October 2025

North West End UK Rating: