"It's Carlos Wagner himself who signed the bewildering production. Drawing force, mystery, lyricism, in short the richness from the texts of Valle Inclán - that he stays totally faithful to - this confirms that he is of rising importance amongst the directors of his generation. The action on stage - sex and violence - even if they sometimes overstep the context of conventional theatre of the beginning of the 20th century of the works creation, find their place exactly in our times.
The single set is spacious, created by Alfons Flores, filled with billiard tables, which already figure in Valle Incláns play. The billiard game echoes the dramatic situation: Pepona (the red ball) is tossed between the two leading men (the two white balls), in an uncertain and macabre carambole."

Drama on the square millimetre

"With "The Rape of Lucretia" the Flemish Opera have invited a precious gem into their house--- the Venezuelan director Carlos Wagner makes the chorus spend large part of the evening blindfolded and tied up. They comment but cannot interfere. At the end of the performance they are freed, but blindfold and tie themselves up voluntarily. The standpoint of the director about the somewhat sickly sweet religious ending --- Wagner directed this show eight years ago at the Opera Studio in Ghent. The images he created are as simple and to the point as Britten's music."

"Carlos Wagner's outstanding production plays outrageously on our voyeuristic self-righteousness in matters of morality. The judge's summing up at the Duchess's humiliating divorce trial is delivered in a mounting frenzy of sexual excitement, in turn shared by those in the public gallery armed with flasks of tea and binoculars. --- The look of the show is fantastic. A steep white staircase fans out from a single doorway. The action is entirely, and precariously, played out on these steps, suggesting the Duchess's imminent tumble from grace and favour. Outsize reproductions of her cosmetics are strewn about like Pop Art sculptures. And in the key moment of that fellatio, a naked Adonis emerges from between the legs of her "headless man" as if to highlight the distinction between sexual fantasy and base reality.
The best of Powder Her Face comes in the final scene where Joan Rodgers' riveting Duchess clings in vain to her pride while Adès attempts to imbue her with an almost Straussian dignity. There's a wicked reference to Der Rosenkavalier as a society journalist presents her with a silver rose. Is this the mad scene the Marschallin never had?"

"If the arias are in Spanish, the dialogues have been humorously rewritten in French --- the lewd double entendres, played with the irresistible accent that reminds us of the beautiful epoch of the TSE of Alfredo Arias. Second happy initiative: the action is transferred to the crazy nights of the movida in Madrid. Thanks to the generosity of the Opera National de Lorraine, Patrick Dutertre launches himself into a delirium à la Almodóvar, creating not less than 250 costumes of whimsical extravagance. Between "Tintin and the Picaros" and the Marx Brothers, the astonishing chase for the treasure is treated like a prank by Carlos Wagner, who imbues his cascade of gags with a hellish rhythm. The single set - a square with buildings on the skew - is diversified by the suggestive lighting of Marie Nicolas and the ingenious use of props: the ship becomes a bathtub on wheels manoeuvred by a shipmate; the condor is a giant crane, the crocodile a green rubbish-bin with jaws! However, when required, the comical becomes poetic. As in the ballet at the bottom of the sea, yellow diving suits float amidst soap-bubbles--- It's a party for all!"