RO$$INI BONANZA! Guest reviewer Dean Thompson finds much in a small space…
Opera lovers or new to opera will love this! So, get on your horse and gallop over to see Charles Court Opera’s cowboy without a dime, but a goldmine for a voice! Over the years I have seen countless productions that have played it safe in terms of setting, costumes and characters. Rossini’s comedic musical genius makes it so easy to get laughs, so why mend what isn’t broken? So in this production, director John Sauvournin takes a risk in setting this production in the Wild West, and strikes gold over and over again with extra laughs thanks to the sparklingly brilliant translation by Musical Director David Eaton, who is also the tour de force saloon bar pianist (complete with cowboy hat) doing the job of what would normally be a whole orchestra. If Champagne (or perhaps rotgut whisky) could sing, this is what it would sound like.
One of the many reasons I think this flawless production works so well is because of its excellent cast of singers; every word is sung so precisely and clearly that the meaning is never lost. The narrative flows beautifully from one wild, perfectly timed caper to another, laugh after laugh, ‘everybody in motion – madness,’ as I heard one audience member behind me comment during the interval on the Act I finale.
Rossini was a bel canto composer, the style of early 19th century Italy characterised by beautiful, long flowing melodic lines as singers glide effortlessly up and down the musical scale. It is difficult to do well, requires a god-given voice with years of dedicated training, flawless technique and endless hours of practice for evenness of tone and phrasing.
The performers have a wonderful rapport with the audience. The stage is set with a Wild West saloon bar entrance complete with swinging doors. Lower down, almost in the audience is a table where outlaws and cowboys can get down to some heavy drinking and gambling, or in this case flirting and plotting.
The production features fantastic comedic overacting with brilliant facial expression, and because there are no bad seats in the theatre, we clearly see all the action and subtle stolen flirtatious smile between Almaviva and Rosina, and sarcastic, mocking grin in the direction of her foolish guardian, Bartolo and his accomplice, Don Basilio.
The supremely confident title character Figaro, ubiquitous barber and matchmaker, performed by New Zealand baritone Jonathan Eyers,, sings his fast paced and energetic arias with manly voice with precision and great acting skill.
Handsome young aristocrat Count Almaviva, played by Anglo-Irish tenor Joseph Doody, will never be single for long once he sings ; it certainly worked on Rosina, hilariously acted with beautiful flowing tones and knowing facial expressions by British mezzo-soprano, Meriel Cunningham.
Ellie Laugharne as Berta is like a fusion of the late Dame Edna Everage and Dolly Parton, ribbing the front row of the audience about the trials and tribulations of searching for love at a certain age but with cowgirl panache.
Box office www.wiltons.org.uk to 23rd March
Tickets from £12.50 (£10 with concessions)
Rating 5
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