This weekend there were biblical scenes in Greater Manchester as the region was hit by torrential rains and intense thunderstorms, following a short period of intense heat Punters were evacuated from a pub in Wetherspoons In Chorlton after it flooded and at Depot Mayfield in the city centre, water could be seen gushing through the ceiling and pouring onto tables at Freight Island.
At the same venue on Sunday afternoon, the dripping ceiling and puddles could easily have been mistaken as part of the set design of Noah’s Flood - a vibrant staging of Benjamin Britten’s community opera - a production with added currency given the climate crisis we currently face.
Britten’s opera was first performed in 1958 and is based on a 15th-century mystery play - originally presented as Noye’s Fludde - which recounts the Old Testament story of Noah’s Ark. Its restaging, directed by Alan Lane of Slung Low, a Leeds-based theatre company, features 180 school children and Lemn Sissay as the voice of God.
