Albert Herring

Opera by Benjamin Britten · Libretto by Eric Crozier

At the centre of the visual concept for Albert Herring is the apple — a symbol of judgement, temptation and transgression, contrasted by the recurring image of a white flower representing purity. Together, these motifs reflect the opera’s preoccupation with who is perceived as a “good” or “bad” member of its small-town society.

This motif develops into a deliberately reduced scenic language built around wood and the imagery of the apple. A highly stylised apple tree made from oversized white wooden sticks forms one side of the stage, balanced by a raised, pulpit-like structure on the other, suggesting religious authority and social respectability. Wooden apple crates connect these contrasting elements and can be continuously rearranged by the performers to create different locations.

The tension between purity and transgression continues through the Victorian-inspired costumes. White and red form the two ends of a colour spectrum: characters perceived as morally “pure” appear predominantly in white, while those associated with transgression move increasingly towards red. Changes in this balance throughout the opera reflect shifts in the characters and how they are perceived.

Created for a double cast of more than twenty costumes and within a very limited budget, the design drew extensively on the theatre’s existing costume stock while maintaining its Victorian silhouettes and overarching colour system.