Peter Grimes [Opera North] – Review – Leeds Grand Theatre

By Hazel Davis, February 2026

Do not go and see this opera… unless you’re prepared to stare into space for ten whole minutes afterwards.

Regularly described as one of the greatest British operas ever written, Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes centres on the death of a young boy at sea and the emotional fallout for the local community and one man – Peter Grimes. It’s based on the poem ‘The Borough’ by G Crabbe and, let me say, it’s not an easy ride.

Opera North’s award-winning production spares no punches. We open with the eponymous hero (villain? Well, ask the townsfolk) washed up on the beach, naked. And the intensity doesn’t stop there. From that moment on we are treated to a masterclass in mob rule, thanks to the expert Chorus of Opera North, who sing as one, move as one and, sometimes, think as one.

“Enthralled”

Grimes is cleared of the boy’s murder but the townspeople have other ideas, deciding for themselves that he is guilty. Peter is advised to not take on an apprentice boy in future but he needs help and so he takes on another boy from the workhouse, who he is, let’s say, “a bit rough and ready” with. The townsfolk don’t like this one bit and descend on his hut, at which point the poor boy falls to his death, in a health and safety nightmare writ large.

Peter has anger management issues but he’s not a murderer. He’s rough and brutish but he doesn’t deliberately kill the boys (though he is stupendously careless with their lives). But the townspeople don’t know this and they don’t care. His fate is decided from the start and there’s no changing anyone’s mind.

All of this plays out over three hours. They are long hours but this is because the opera is unhurried. The music is indulgent and deliberate, every note meaningful and every stage direction allowed to sit with the audience. The chorus is masterful and keeps us enthralled with every word, despite the slow pace.

“Dark and brooding”

There are no stars here. Sure, John Findon is superb as the taciturn fisherman and his girlfriend Ellen is solidly and sympathetically played by Philippa Boyle. The other mainish characters are all strong (special shoutout to the wayward nieces who lend some light relief without ever compromising on musicality and precision. But the ensemble is the real star. This is not a main act with a supporting cast. And the set plays its part expertly. From the start, the atmosphere is dark and brooding, the mood foreboding and suspicious and this is as much to do with the excellent lighting and intelligent stage design. Docks are built from palettes and the cast assemble the fisherman’s hut on stage. The slow procession of the net lends an suitably eerie feel to the entire proceedings.

I lied. There is a star and it’s the orchestra. Britten’s music is not easy to listen to but by god it’s satisfying. The insistent repetition and casual dissonance are addictive and the effort you need to put in to listen pays off in an aural fever dream. The orchestra is as one, much like the mob.

This is an opera that sits with you long after you’ve watched it.

‘Peter Grimes’ is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 21st February
images: James Glossop

Hazel Davis( Writer )

Hazel Davis lives in West Yorkshire and has been a journalist for most of the UK national newspapers and many magazines, cutting her teeth on a classical music magazine. She’s the lead singer in a country band (Mustard County), plays trumpet in a wind band and big band and cornet in a brass band. When she’s not playing music or writing about it, she’s usually thinking about it.

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