Saul at Glyndebourne Festival 2025

One of the couples who we take to Glyndebourne usually choose a Handel so it was no surprise when they asked to see Saul and it was no surprise either that I agreed. 

The ballot gods were kind to use and we got seats Blue Upper Circle C:5-8 for £130 each. A good price I thought.

On the day the weather was not great so many people who would have picnicked on the grass had booked tables in the Veg Patch Stretch Tent instead and that forced us back into the main marquee, not our first choice but a perfectly reasonable second choice.

Saul has a long overture of familiar Handel style which was a welcome reassurance of what was to come, though it only told only part of the story.

Then the curtain was raised and it immediately clear that we were in for something quite different. Possibly inspired by Bridgeton, the cast wore Georgian costumes and made exaggerated gestures with their arms. And that set the scene for a visually spectacular feast with plenty of modern dancing and a few severed heads.

Stunning as the staging was the music lived up to it. With lots to like the element that I enjoyed the most was when the chorus sang. And things got even better when the two came together such as they did the times the chorus piled along the very front of the stage in three tight rows to sing directly at us.

I am not sure if I ever learned the story of Saul at school (and am glad I forgot it if I did) so but I did know about David (the first severed head was the giant's) so guessed that he would be the ultimate victor in the contest with Saul which was entirely of Saul's making.

Saul was the complete package with good music, good singing and exceptional staging.