On March 2, the Royal Danish Opera is set to open a new production of Verdi’s “Aida.”

The production by British director Annabel Arden is set to highlight the personal story of the captured Aida, who falls in love with her enemy. Arden will bring the story to modern times and showcase two neighboring countries at war, which is very reminiscent of our modern world.

Arden, who has directed at the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne Festival, Welsh National Opera, Dubai Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, to name a few, spoke to OperaWire about her upcoming production and the experience of working on this Verdi opera.

OperaWire: “Aida” is an opera that has been scrutinized in our modern society. How do you approach a work like “Aida” so that it does not exoticize a culture and does justice to Verdi’s music?

Annabel Arden: I first examine the Characters’ emotional stories and work from the dynamics of the score. I try to imagine what it could actually be like to inhabit these people. I have not chosen to set the production in any one country – but we are in modern times. Two neighboring countries are at war. Well, sadly, this could be in various parts of the world right now, including Europe.

OW: What is your concept, and what types of research did you do in coming up with this new production?

AA: I tell a story in and try to find a language of space and movement that amplifies that story. Perhaps I am a little expressionist in this production. Frankly, I have never thought in terms of concepts. I think Aida herself is an embodiment of death—or perhaps that part of our psyche drawn to death. She comes from a place of destruction and of war. She has probably seen her mother die. She is a refugee. As for research, I read a lot about trauma. In a sense, Aida is already dead. Or she carries death with her. I am experimenting with making four dancers also embody Aida. Her ‘self’ is expressed through their agency, as well as her voice and body. I was also interested in images of oppressive architecture and the world of high fashion’s fascination with the colors and shapes of ancient Egyptian art.

OW: There are few women directors in the opera industry. What does it mean to direct this operatic masterpiece in Copenhagen? How do you think this can change?

AA: I am delighted to work in Copenhagen at the start of Elisabeth Linton’s tenure as artistic director. My producer from the house is Anne-Sophie Fogeldby, and to direct “Aida,” which has such wonderful women leading roles in Aida and Amneris. There are more and more women directing opera, leading opera houses, and conducting. We will see things shift. I have been doing it for thirty years now and have directed well over 20 operatic productions. So the next generation will take things further. Opera can only gain from becoming more inclusive and diverse in every way.

OW: Aida and Amneris are two of the most iconic roles in the operatic canon. How do you view their relationship?

AA: They are equals and, in a sense, cannot escape each other. They are in perpetual, dynamic opposition. Two sides of the same coin. Princesses, people of intelligence and status whose tragedy is not only that they love the same man but that the male world of power through which they move deprives them of any real control over their lives.

I think it is a love/hate relationship. Amneris is so isolated in her world—maybe, subconsciously, she wants an ally. She senses some potential in Aida as much as she views her as a rival. Amneris’ tragedy is that she loses everything. Her lover, her opposite (Aida), and her kingdom. At the end of the opera, it is clear that she will be prevented from taking the throne by the Priests and Ramfis. Her father (like Aida’s father) is absent. These women are left to fend for themselves, and at least Aida determines her own fate. Amneris is prevented from choosing hers and ends the opera with a most touching, restrained prayer for peace.

OW: What are the biggest challenges of directing a production like “Aida?” It begins with massive choral music and then moves towards more intimacy in the third and fourth acts. How do you find that balance?

AA: There is great intimacy at the beginning of every act… the balance of the opera is towards intimacy. The greatest challenge is finding the time to explore the human depths of all these characters.

OW: How has your work with the Royal Danish Opera been so far?

It is a most welcoming and energetic environment in a beautiful city, with a splendid chorus, ensemble, and creative technical teams. I am very lucky.

OW: What is your favorite moment in Verdi’s score?

AA: I have so many! Whichever one I am working on that given day.

OW: What excites you about working with your international cast?

They all bring something unique to the work, and they have been so open about working together.

OW: What do you hope your audience takes away from this upcoming production?

AA: I hope they will follow a really human story and to have a rich experience of the score, as well as enjoy the spectacle – even if it is an unconventional take on war and patriotism

OW: What comes after this “Aida” production?

AA: I am like Verdi–I will go home and grow vegetables for a little while. But then I am returning to the theatre with The RSC, working with Omar Elerians on a new production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” with actors who are all over 70. I am very excited about that.
I am also developing a theatre piece based on the life of Licoricia of Winchester, a member of the Jewish community in England in the thirteenth century. She was one of the richest and most independent businesswomen in the country, a close friend of the king, and was murdered in her home shortly before the mass expulsion of the Jews from Britain in 1290. It is a moment in British history most people know nothing about. I am also preparing a new production of “Der Fliegende Holländer” for 2024-25.