Overview
Synopsis
The tragic story of Peter Grimes revolves around the tormented title character, a fisherman who finds himself shunned by the rest of his small village. At once the protagonist and the anti-hero, Grimes is gruff and unpopular, but the character is crafted with a certain degree of ambiguity so the audience constantly questions whether he is truly a good or bad person. His former apprentice died at sea, and although Grimes was cleared of any wrongdoing, the village still believes that he was responsible and are ever suspicious of him. Despite being warned against doing so by the court, Grimes takes on a new apprentice, though he is constantly haunted by the guilt of the other boy’s death. Despite the help of the town schoolmistress, Ellen, who plans to marry Grimes and try to create a better life for him, the new apprentice himself meets a tragic end. The borough, convinced that Grimes is a murderer, condemns him. Descending further and further into madness as the mob approaches, Grimes sails his boat out to sea to sink it, never to return.
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Context
The tragic account of Peter Grimes is based on a narrative poem from George Crabbe’s 1810 book The Borough. Crabbe grew up in Aldeburgh, a small fishing village, and according to Crabbe’s son, the tormented character of Peter Grimes was based on a real fisherman named Tom Brown. Composer Benjamin Britten grew up just 25 miles north of Aldebourgh and also felt a strong connection with the sea, and so crafting music to evoke the natural sounds and atmosphere of the coast came to him
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Prologue
The scene opens on a small fishing village in England. A coroner’s inquest is being conducted at the town hall by Mr. Swallow about the death at sea of a young fisherman apprenticed to Peter Grimes. Grimes is questioned, and all of the townspeople present make it clear that they believe him to be guilty. Swallow, however, clears Grimes of any charges, accepting his account of events, but tells him that if he ever wants to have another apprentice, he should not do so unless he
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Peter Grimes.
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Songs
Prologue
- The Moot Hall (Hobson, Peter, Ellen, Swallow, Ned Keene, Mrs. Sedley, Burgesses)
- Act I
- Interlude I - Dawn (orchestra)
- Scene 1: The Waterfront (Burgesses, Peter, Ned Keene, Auntie, Nieces, Mrs. Sedley, Hobson, Ellen, Balstrode, Swallow, Bob Boles, Dr. Crabbe)
- Interlude II - Storm (orchestra)
- Scene 2: The Boar Tavern (Auntie, Mrs. Sedley, Bob Boles, Peter Grimes, Ellen, Hobson, Ned Keene, Balstrode, Nieces, Burgesses)
Act II:
- Interlude III - Sunday Morning (orchestra)
- Scene 1: The Street (Burgesses, John, Peter, Rector, Swallow, Ned Keene, Bob Boles, Nieces, Ellen, Auntie, Dr. Crabbe, Mrs. Sedley)
- Interlude IV - Passacaglia (orchestra)
- Scene 2: Grimes’s Hut (Male Burgesses, Balstrode, Swallow, Rector, John, Peter)
Act III:
- Interlude V- Moonlight (orchestra)
- Scene 1: The Waterfront (Burgesses, Rector, Mrs. Sedley, Swallow, Nieces, Ned Keene, Balstrode, Ellen, Hobson, Dr. Crabbe)
- Interlude VI (orchestra)
- Scene 2: The Waterfront (Grimes, Ellen, Balstrode, Burgesses, Auntie, Bob Boles, Swallow, )
- Scene 3: The Waterfront (Burgesses, Bob Boles, Swallow, Auntie)
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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