Isabella Gellis's first full-length stage work, The Devil's Den, premiered at the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds, blending folk horror with morris dancing. The opera, hosted by Opera North, explores legends surrounding a neolithic monument in Wiltshire, featuring a sinister rabbit, a fire-breathing toad, and a talking rabbit who translates the devil's squeaks.
Directed by Jack Furness, the production includes a circle of greensward and imitation rocks forming a dolmen. The morris dancers, from Sheffield City Morris, perform between scenes like a hanky-waving Greek chorus, adding bells and sticks to Gellis's music.
The story follows a good child whom everyone decides is bad, put on trial by a druid who teaches the audience a song of condemnation. Despite its eccentricity, the opera offers a modern mystery play feel, with touching moments such as the child singing a butterfly song to block out the crowd.
Gellis's music, performed by a 15-strong ensemble conducted by Finnegan Downie Dear, is agile and transparent, often witty with solo instruments mimicking characters. The cast includes Lotte Betts-Dean as the devil, Nicholas Morris as the rabbit, Ossian Huskinson as the druid, and Jennifer France as the child.
While some scenes feel too long, the opera's originality and charm suggest it deserves further performances beyond Leeds.
