The opera Billy Budd, in a not-at-all camp production, apparently starring Brian Blessed centre right...
John Amis reports:
When Benjamin Britten announced that he was going to write an all-male opera [set on board ship] we thought he was barking mad... Britten sent Michael Tippett a copy of the libretto, asking for comments.
Tippett replied saying what a good libretto Eric Crozier and E.M.Forster had written.
But he suggested that a line in act one might be misconstrued: Claggart at one point sings "Clear the decks of seamen".
Britten wrote back saying what a filthy mind Michael had.
But he cut the line.