Samson et Dalila, Royal Opera House
Glorious singing lifts a visually uneven revival
5/14/2026
★★★★☆
Camille Saint-Saëns first imagined ‘Samson et Dalila’ as an oratorio, and that origin still shows. Premiered in 1877, the work sits somewhere between biblical pageant and full-blooded opera, with grand choruses, moments of devotional stillness and some of the most sensuous music in the French repertoire. Richard Jones’s Royal Opera House production, now revived, avoids modern political parallels and instead presents the story as a clash between austere Hebrew faith and the gaudy materialism of the Philistines.
Visually, the production is bold but not always persuasive. Hyemi Shin’s set is spare and modern, with orange walls, revolving structures and a white temple space that suggests ritual without giving much context. Nicky Gillibrand’s costumes make the contrast clear: the Hebrews are dressed in muted greys, while the Philistines appear in bright colours, glitter and theatrical excess. It is easy to read, but occasionally too broad. The giant Dagon idol, with its gambling imagery, is striking but feels more puzzling than illuminating.
Where the staging really comes alive is in its biggest set pieces. Lucy Burge’s choreography for the ‘Bacchanale’ is wild, camp and knowingly excessive, giving the Philistines a world of physical pleasure and vulgar celebration. The final collapse of the temple provides the evening’s main coup de théâtre, a proper operatic spectacle that delivers the expected gasp, even if some of the design choices leading up to it remain uneven.
Musically, the revival is much stronger. Alexander Soddy conducts with energy and sweep, drawing lush colour from the Royal Opera House orchestra. The score’s erotic warmth and ceremonial grandeur are well served, though the opening balance with the offstage chorus is not ideal. The chorus itself is superb, moving from solemn prayer to dramatic ensemble singing with real force and precision.
Aigul Akhmetshina is the evening’s undeniable star. Her Dalila is not merely seductive, but controlled, earthy and dangerous. The voice is velvety, smoky and beautifully shaped, especially in ‘Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix’, where she spins the line with hypnotic softness. SeokJong Baek gives a powerful and increasingly moving Samson, his tenor combining heroic brightness with a darker baritonal warmth. His final act lament brings genuine pathos.
The supporting cast is strong, especially Łukasz Goliński’s sharp, malicious High Priest, William Thomas’s resonant Rabbi and Ossian Huskinson’s vivid Abimélech.
This is not a flawless production. Its visual language can feel confused and its drama sometimes static. But the musical standards are high, the central pairing is gripping, and the great moments land with force.
Image credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
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