Showing @ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 24, Thu 26 & Sat 28 May

The antithesis of the fatalistic theme so beloved of opera Rigoletto is a story of consequences.

Despite cursing the heavens for his misfortune it’s neither gods nor magic that determine the fate of Verdi’s hunchbacked jester instead its Rigoletto’s choices – his cruelty, his overprotective parenting and his desire for revenge that lead to his tragic downfall.

Scottish Opera’s new production delves into these deep psychological waters with Eddie Wade portraying a tragic but all too human Rigoletto and in – as far as opera will allow – a contained performance Wade used his powerful baritone voice to sound out the pain instead of relying on any over the top histrionics.

Over the last few years we’ve found out more about the inner life of our favourite clowns such as Frankie Howerd or Tony Hancock and this dichotomous existence is at the heart of Wade’s portrayal. The double life led by the jester is sharply drawn not simply by changes of costume or set but in Wade’s face and gait where the burden of his secret life seems to physically weigh him down.

Whilst Wade provides the darkness the light comes from Nadine Livingston’s Gilda. A frustrating character and certainly no feminist icon there’s still something attractive about her pure open heart and uncomplicated view of love expressed in some of Verdi’s most beautiful music. A tribute to Livingston’s effectiveness in the role is that you frequently want to jump on stage and shake the naïveté out of her.

If a good shake is desired for Gilda then something considerably more violent and direct is needed for Edgaras Montvidas’s Duke: an accomplished, strutting cocksure performance as the womanising aristocrat. In the past there have been those that have tried to inject some humility or decency into the role but Montividas has quite rightly eschewed this in favour of the dismissive callousness so perfectly summed up in the tuneful misogyny of La Donna e Mobile.

In addition to the central players Louise Collett made a fine sassy Maddelena and Alan Fairs was suitably wrathful as Count Monterone but the highlight were the chorus who relished the exquisite music Verdi provided them with.

This is an intelligent, thoughtful, well balanced and musically adroit production. The staging is a little gimmicky and some of the voices were fighting to compete with the orchestra but on the whole this is a human-sized slice of operatic tragedy with more than enough drama and depth to lose yourself in.

FULL LISTINGS:

Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 3QA
Wed 11 May 7.15pm • Sun 15 May 4.00pm • Wed 18 May 7.15pm • Sat 21 May 7.15pm

Free events
Rigoletto Unwrapped Glasgow Fri 13 May 6.00pm
Touch Tour Wed 18 May 6.00pm
Pre-show Talk Sat 21 May 6.00pm

Festival Theatre, 13–29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9FT
Tue 24 May 7.15pm • Thu 26 May 7.15pm • Sat 28 May 7.15pm

Free events
Rigoletto Unwrapped Wed 25 May 6.00pm
Touch Tour Sat 28 May 6.00pm
Pre-show Talk Sat 28 May 6.00pm

His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GL
Thu 2 Jun 7.30pm • Sat 4 Jun 7.30pm

Free events
Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 3 Jun 6.00pm
Touch Tour Sat 4 Jun 6.00pm
Pre-show Talk Sat 4 Jun 6.00pm

Eden Court, Bishops Road Inverness IV3 5SA
Thu 9 Jun 7.15pm • Sat 11 Jun 7.15pm

Free events
Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 10 Jun 6.00pm
Touch Tour Sat 11 Jun 6.00pm
Pre-show Talk Sat 11 Jun 6.00pm

Grand Opera House, Great Victoria Street Belfast BT2 7HR
Thu 16 Jun 7.15pm • Sat 18 Jun 7.15pm

Free events
Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 17 Jun 6.00pm

Grand Canal Theatre, Grand Canal Square Docklands Dublin 2
Tue 21 Jun 7.30pm • Thu 23 Jun 7.30pm • Sat 25 Jun 7.30pm