Showing @ Theatre Royal Glasgow 30 Nov, 2, 4 Dec, touring see dates below
Time and the accretion of centuries of critical praise can sometimes mask the underlying nature of a piece of art, after all the Mona Lisa is just a painting of a merchant’s wife and with 224 years of history and analysis on its back its easy to forget that The Marriage of Figaro is a comedy. A comedy about power, sex and jealousy, but a comedy none the less. Scottish Opera‘s wonderful new production, alongside Mozart’s exceptional music and the superb vocal talents on display never forgets, as they say, to bring the funny.
Sir Thomas Allen’s direction revelled in the comic possibilities with not just the principals indulging in physical shtick but also plenty going on in the background to grab the laughs. As a whole this was a tremendously kinetic show with nothing and nobody standing still for a moment all of which gave this production a joyous energy.
The performances are spot on, Thomas Olieman’s Figaro is sly with just the right amount of arrogance and his Susanna (Nadine Livingston) is saucy and bright. Roderick William’s Count practically bursts with a mixture of self importance and lust and Ulrike Mayer’s Cherubino is an faithful portrait of lovestruck teenage gawkiness. The most difficult role in this light, bright and seemingly frothy concoction is that of the Countess around whom the opera’s only tragic motifs, of her husband’s infidelity and her undiminished love revolve. Kate Valentine gives a nuanced performance and her Porgi amor, qualche ristoro and her Sull’aria duet with Susanna make the hairs stand up on the back of the neck. While the smaller – but no less important – characters of Marcellina (Leah-Marian Jones), Basilio (Harry Nicoll), Bartolo and Barbarina were all brilliantly essayed with style with Jones and Nicoll clearly rejoicing in the campery of their parts.
Years of being eulogised and analysed can fix a piece of art in aspic and in doing so destroy its worth as a living breathing work. This production could hardly be further from that criticism, its a lively, feisty joyful production full of abandon which it’s easy to imagine is the way Mozart would have wanted it to be.
Tour Dates:
Eden Court Inverness: 4-6 November
His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen 11, 13 November
Festival Theatre Edinburgh: 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 November