ROH consults SOAS for Madame Butterfly revival

The Royal Opera House’s (ROH) production of Madame Butterfly opened earlier this month thanks to expertise and input from Dr Satona Suzuki, lecturer in Japanese and Modern Japanese History at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

During a year-long consultation Dr Suzuki, along with ROH staff, academics, practitioners, performers and Asian representatives, helped to adjust the production to avoid offence and backlash from modern audiences. Avoiding outdated narratives around imperialism, orientalism and sexism through changes to staging, makeup, wigs, costume, and movement.

Dr Suzuki, said: ‘As a historian, I genuinely believe that when facing difficult and uncomfortable issues we reflect on our past from different perspectives through meaningful discussions. It makes more sense than simply ignoring or cancelling such a masterpiece that is still so important for modern audiences.’

Puccini's opera focuses on a young geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer. ROH director Oliver Mears, who led the consultation, said: ‘Puccini's opera is a masterpiece. However, it is also a product of its time.’

He added: ‘For this revival of Moshe Leiser’s and Patrice Caurier's classic production, we wanted to interrogate the depiction of Japanese culture in the staging of this work and involve Japanese practitioners and academics to help us work towards a Butterfly; both true to the spirit of the original and authentic in its representation of Japan.’

Dr Suzuki has also contributed to the show’s programme with her piece Caught in the Vortex of Imperialism: the Emergence of Modern Japan and helped curate a free exhibition on the complicated history and context of the piece which is on display in the ROH Level 5 Foyer.

You can find our more about the Royal Opera House’s production of Madame Butterfly here.