A gothic feast for the eyes with some very fine singing: Gothic Opera in the UK premiere of Halévy's La Dame de Pique

Halévy: La Dame de Pique - Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]

Fromental Halévy: La Dame de Pique; Grace O’Malley, James Hutchings, Sam Utley, Charlie Epps, Alice Usher, director: Jonny Danciger, conductor: Hannah von Wiehler, arranger: Leon Haxby; Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre
Reviewed by Saskia Bibb, 29 October 2026

For this year’s Halloween production from Gothic Opera, we are in the last days of the Ancien régime to witness the havoc wreaked by a pact with the devil — a legend of a magic ring and the three secret cards that guarantee success at the gambling tables. 

Musically it is a triumph. Halévy’s opera lives up to its billing as an inexplicably neglected gem and the cast is a treasure trove of vocal talent. It is visually compelling: atmospheric sets, glorious costumes and clean, effective blocking. The drama falls down a little, with some clunky acting and the rather on-the-nose adapted dialogue.

We are first introduced to foreman of the miners, Andre Roskaw, played by Charlie Epps, and Lisanka, the governor’s daughter whom he aspires to marry if he can get enough money together, played by Alice Usher. Usher’s commanding, dramatic voice is put centre stage as she explains the Polowska family legend. In her interactions with other characters she is less convincing though, in particular her dialogue is rather stilted. Epps’s light, youthful baritone has a gentle and honest timbre that is a real gift to his characterisation of André, giving him an earthy, authentic quality. To start with his portrayal is naturalistic (his dialogue is impressively so given the rather crude material) but as the darkness within triumphs, Epps can see that only a healthy dose of melodrama will do. If you can’t pull out all the stops when driven mad by an ancient curse in a Halloween opera, then when can you?

Halévy: La Dame de Pique - Grace O'Malley, Charlie Epps - Gothic Opera at Battersea Arts Centre [Photo: Craig Fuller]