It’s no secret that the UK loves a good soap opera. The plot twists, cliff-hangers and outrageous scandals of shows like Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale ensure that these shows, year on year, are consistently ranked as some of the highest-rated tv shows in Britain. In many ways, opera shares these captivating qualities, with some of the most popular operas exploring themes of love, relationships and death. In fact, Katie Mitchell, the original director of this Season’s production of Jenůfa, compared Janáček’s opera to that of a soap opera. But why exactly does Mitchell make this comparison?
In the same way that each episode of a soap opera ends on a cliffhanger, forcing you to wait through the adverts or until the next day for its resolution, Jenůfa leaves you with bated breath during its two intervals. Twisting through horrifying tragedy and incredible tension, the plot line takes unexpected turns that are near impossible to see coming. There is a reason that this opera has captivated audiences since its first performance in 1904, and we guarantee that your eyes will be glued to the stage as the gripping storyline unfolds. What’s more, it’s not just the intense soap-opera-like drama of Jenůfa that will captivate you. Enhancing the drama is Janáček’s stunning orchestral score which WNO Music Director, Tomáš Hanus, describes as the opera’s ‘narrator’, complementing the drama for the audience.
Just like in a soap opera, the plot of Jenůfa is driven by various character relations, navigating their love and conflict. In soap operas, there is nothing better than the plot of a good love triangle, and in Jenůfa, the opera opens with a conflict between Jenůfa, the drunken Števa, and his less-favoured half-brother Laca. Further complicating the matter is the fact that Jenůfa is pregnant with Števa’s illegitimate child, heightening the drama through the imposing risk of bringing shame upon herself and her family. The intensity deepens further through the ever-evolving relationship between Jenůfa and her stepmother, Kostelnička, who both battle to cover up their scandal and lies from the villagers.
Finally, and perhaps most crucially for this opera, Jenůfa is riddled with moral conflicts, just like so many of our favourite soap operas. Will Števa stay sober enough to marry Jenůfa? Will Kostelnička kill Jenůfa’s child to save her from shame? Will Števa keep the news of his illegitimate child from his new fiancé? These are just a few of the moral dilemmas that the characters face throughout the opera – and believe us when we say, there are many more. Why not attend a performance of Jenůfa this Season and experience the parallels between Janáček’s Jenůfa and soap operas yourself?