Sturm und Drang: Edward Christian-Hare braves the elements for Opera Holland Park’s first Wagner production

Sometimes the weather forecast is wrong and sometimes it is right. In this case, it was right. Almost as soon as the first act began, the heavens opened onto the canopy at Opera Holland Park. Then the surtitles flashed inconsistently on their screens.

Yet the audience’s spirits were not dampened (even if their coats were) in the delightfully intimate auditorium. The spray of the rain during Act I was a welcome addition that, combined with those famous chromatic string runs and an overpowered wind machine, added a rare degree of verisimilitude to Wagner’s oceanic drama.