Opera review: Two Remain, fortyfivedownstairs

Jake Heggie’s contemporary opera Two Remain told the stories of two Holocaust survivors, Krystyna Zywulska (Lara Troyer) and Gad Beck (Eric van Baars). The opera was told in two acts, each one focusing on one of the two survivors. 

The first act was Krystyna’s story and looked at her time in Auschwitz and the people she knew. There was an element of mystery to her recollections as she struggled to find the words to describe her experience. Her younger self, Krysia (Melissa Davis) composed song lyrics that boosted the morale of her fellow prisoners and in this Heggie and the librettist Gene Scheer cleverly used lyrics written by the real-life Krystyna.

Heggie’s score expertly shifted from haunting to at times playful when appropriate, while maintaining a tension that built to the devastating climax of the act. Troyer and Davis were in sync as the younger and older Krystyna, and they were well supported by the rest of the cast. 

The second act told the story of an ageing Gad recalling his lost young love Manfred (Bailey Montgomerie). This section focused on the lesser-known homosexual victims of the Holocaust and brought this important story to life. Montgomerie stole the show with a wonderful vocal performance that was haunting and beautiful at the same time. Heggie’s score brought out Manfred’s poetic nature and the inevitable tragedy awaiting him.

There was, however, a confusing artistic decision to have only the character of Manfred sing in the second act and the role of Gad be entirely spoken until the finale. While there can be some artistic justification in this, it did feel like a missed opportunity. 

The staging was minimalist, with the six-piece orchestra to the side and the singers and supporting ensemble centre stage. The orchestra, conducted by John Simmonds, did a wonderful job; they really brought out the variation in Heggie’s score from the darkest moments to the party atmosphere of a 1930s Berlin nightclub.

One of the challenges of dealing with evil acts is how to convey them on stage in an impactful way and this operatic production did struggle with the acts of violence that can never visually line up with what they were depicting. It would have been better to leave this to the imagination of the audience and let the music convey the horror. 

The nature of a two-act structure with two different stories naturally invited comparison and examination of how they connected with each other. The two different perspectives of survivor’s guilt and the seeming futility of putting into words what happened in the Holocaust were thought-provoking; the connection between them made sense.

The first act didn’t feel as strong, however, after having seen the second. Gad’s story carried greater power and emotional impact in the music and the performance by Montgomerie, even if it did lack a singing part for Gad.

Heggie tried to tie the two acts together in a finale that brough the whole cast on stage for a final number. While this was a rousing way to finish, it also seemed like an unnecessary way to tie two stories together that stood well enough on their own. 

At one point Krystyna’s husband told her that her memories of Auschwitz were just in her head now. This comment highlights the need for these stories to be told and retold, so the world does not forget, even as age takes away the last of the survivors.

Read: Theatre review: Swim, Carriageworks

Heggie has composed a moving and relevant contemporary opera and Nightingale Opera should be commended on delivering a quality production.

Two Remain by Jake Heggie with Libretto by Gene Scheer
fortyfivedownstairs theatre
Nightingale Opera
Stage Director: Cynthia Skelley Wohlschlager
Lighting Design: Kris Chainey
Scenic Design: Eloise Kent
Costume Design: Melissa Davis in collaboration with Rose Chong Costumiers
Stage Manager: Finlay Pedler
Conductor: John Simmons
Flute: Kim Tan
Clarinet: Cameron Smith
Violin: Marianne Rothschild
Cello: Charlotte Jacke
Bass: Hamish Gullick
Piano: Coady Green
Cast: Lara Troyer, Melissa Davis, Linda Barcan, Karen Van Spall, Uma Dobia, Eric van Baars, Bailey Montgomerie, Maria Woolford
Ensemble: Sarah Amos (Krysia cover), Victoria Knight (Mariola cover), Taco Kuiper, Stephanie Macindoe (Edka Cover), Alex Owens (Manfred Cover), Kate Pengelly (Krystyna Zywulska cover), Ruben Fitton (Gad Beck cover), Darcy Towe, Maria Woolford (Zosia cover)

Two Remain was performed 25-28 July 2024.