Pest Control: Laboratory rats feature in a thought-provoking new Bayreuth ‘Lohengrin’, reports Barry Millington

Hans Neuenfels’s new production of Lohengrin has upset many traditionalists, but his concept is a thought-provoking one. The significance of all its details is not necessarily obvious on a single viewing, but it is nevertheless a powerfully realised piece of musical theatre, with stage and pit combining to unforgettable effect. The action takes place in a white-walled, brightly lit laboratory, with the populace – both armies and civilians – presented as rats, under observation.