Royal Opera House to stage ‘non-racist’ version of Madame Butterfly

The Royal Opera is set to stage Madame Butterfly after a year-long consultation to strip it of Japanese stereotypes.

Changes have been made to make-up, costumes and movement in the reestablishment of the opera – due to open on June 14.

Oliver Mears, Royal Opera director, described Puccini’s work as a masterpiece, but admitted it is ‘also a product of its time’, The Times reports.

The opera, set in late 19th century Japan, follows the tragic story of teenage Japanese geisha Cio-Cio-San, who marries American naval officer Pinkerton.

But Pinkerton leaves for the US and returns three years later with his American wife, having given his and Cio-Cio-San’s child a Western upbringing.

Distraught, Cio-Cio-San then takes her own life.

However, the opera was criticised following accusations of underlying racism over suggestions that the West is superior and stereotyped roles.

A consultation followed in which it was explored how traditional operas such as Madama Butterfly can be presented more thoughtfully in the modern era.

Anne Sophie Duprels as Cio-Cio-San during a dress rehearsal of Opera North’s Madama Butterfly at Leeds Grand theatre in January 2018

Mr Mears said the Royal Opera aimed to ‘interrogate the depiction of Japanese culture’ and had involved Japanese practitioners and academics to make the revival ‘both true to the spirit of the original’, while also an ‘authentic representation of Japan’.

He continued: ‘Ultimately, this work will enrich our art form… and will ensure that opera thrives now and long into the future.’ 

And movement consultant for the re-established performance Sonoko Kamimura explained how they had concentrated on ‘refining posture and adjusting placement’.

He added: ‘By making tiny changes to the ways in which singers express their emotions through music, we can create something more authentic — less prone to stereotypes, and more attuned to the historical context.’

The Royal Opera says it has a responsibility to oversee the future of the industry by ‘determining which stories are told, how they are interpreted and who gets to make them’.