ROH: Glare ★★★★ Short, philosophical, contemporary and splendid

By Mary Grace Nguyen 

Sky Ingram as Lea in Glare. Royal Opera. Photographer - Sim Canetty-Clarke © ROH 2014.

Philosophical inquiry into the nature of consciousness has been discussed ever since humans have existed. 16^th century French philosopher René Descartes first introduced the phrase Cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am) to prove that if someone was capable of thinking, than they must exist. Yet in 1949 English philosopher Gilbert Ryle argued against Descartes notion of the mind and body with his own premise namely, ‘Ghost in the Machine’ claiming there was no such thing, as the mind and the body co-existing, but only the mind. I cannot attempt to list all of the ideas concerning consciousness; but it is fair to say that many philosophers, until now, still grapple with this never-ending debate.

Sci-Fi movies such as The Matrix and Blade Runner, (and even Japanese Anime like Ghost in the Shell) have presented visual vehicles to see how these metaphysical notions would play out. Now, in the Linbury Studio theatre of the Royal Opera House, we have a new Sci-Fi opera that have the fine trimmings of a Sci-Fi production: the electronic music, the science fiction storyline and ‘glaring’ visuals.

In this intriguing opera, composed by Søren Nils Eichberg and directed by  Thaddeus Strassberger, Alex (Amar Muchhala) breaks up with Christina (Clare Presland) and begins a brand new relationship with Lea (Sky Ingram): an absolutely perfect girl. Yet things aren’t what they seem. Alex begins to notice her strange and often repetitive behaviour and as he confides this to his scientist friend - our modern day Victor Frankenstein - (Ashley Riches), he explains that Lea is in fact a Learning, Exposed Android.

From the outset the musical composition sets the tone for our Sci-Fi genre by harnessing a refreshing and experimental score of classic, rock, jazz, and, more importantly, electronic music. (My ears also heard deep bass notes from night club genre dubstep as well.) With craftsmanship, Eichberg’s score meshes together atmospheric sounds which neatly tie in the interactions of its characters and stress the deeper questions the opera asks such as what is real? What is natural? What constitutes as a person? And even, what is the perfect girlfriend? 

Conducted by Geoffrey Paterson CHROMA, a chamber orchestra of 11 players (including drum kit, double bass, contrabassoon and bass clarinet), string together a mix of contemporary music with computerised sounds amplified by speakers surrounding the audience. This, layered with beautiful operatic voices, clearly thwarts every preconceived idea that opera is only for classical music lovers.

Madeleine Boyd’s setting is also fitting and doesn’t require special effects or prosthetic makeup. Set in present day, the minimalistic stage of the Linbury studio is sufficient for this short, 1 hour 15 minutes, splendid opera. On our left is pink neon lights with the words ‘you are perfect’, a white mattress and a metal sink on our right. 

Ashley Riches as Michael, Sky Ingram as Lea, Amar Muchhala as Alex and Clare Presland as Christina in Glare. Photography by Sim Canetty-Clarke © ROH 2014

There are peaceful scenes of a sexual nature, including lesbianism, that are not humiliating; but there are also physically violent scenes including attempted rape. What the audience sees and hears may urge some to think the libretto, written by poet Hannah Dübgen, is misogynistic unfortunately with tell-tale lines such as ‘women are all the same!’ Yet these honest lyrics to every day conversation, which is sang operatically, are pertinent and highlight the abnormal and alien nature of the Sci-Fi genre.

Glare has excellent performances from its opera cast. Ingram as Lea gave a perfect performance, both vocally and on stage, and that wasn't just because her android self was meant to be. Her envision of Lea was innocent, and it was sad to see her confused of her identity and victimised by all. Muchhala sung with sensuality and genuineness for playing the indecisive and troubled male while Ashley Riches developed his villainous character as an evil baritone and prime non-sympathetic and unfeeling chauvinist. And Clare Presland as Christina sang with pathos as she played an influential role in being the contrast of Lea: a real woman filled with passion and emotions. 

For Thaddeus Strassberger this is one of his adventurous productions, which demonstrate his ability to produce both modern, outlandish and traditional operas. There are just a few 'glaring' stage direction questions I have in regards to Riches singing with crisps in his mouth and reasons why Presland stands with her face to the wall with a knife in her hand. What does it mean? 

Søren Nils Eichberg © Henning Harms

The Sci-Fi concept is a fresh one and a great comparison from his last production at the Royal Opera House, I Due Foscari: a Verdi opera set in classic 15^th century Venice. For Eichberg, Glare is a grand slamming way to debut at the Royal Opera House and I hope to hear more of his work soon.

Glare is showing until 22nd November. Click here to purchase and buy tickets 

I purchased my ticket for this production

 

Whoever thinks opera is just for classic music lovers is a fool #Rohglare has it all! My favourite music!: Classic, jazz, electro & dubstep
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) November 14, 2014

#Rohglare Short, philosophical,contemporary & splendid.Ingram gave a "perfect" performance not just because her android self was meant to be
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) November 14, 2014

Fulham Opera: Verdi’s Falstaff

[Left to Right: Oliver Gibbs, Catherine Rogers and Keel Watson]

There’s much to enjoy about Falstaff; the final opera composed by Verdi. It refuted many of his contemporaries including Rossini and proved that he could write comedy operas just as well as his great tragic operas like La Traviata.

Loosely based on Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor, Verdi and his librettist Arrigo Boito produced a witty and vivacious opera that has charmed audiences since its premier in 1893.

Now the little opera company Fulham Opera have stepped in and created a larger-than-life production of Falstaff at their resident St John’s Church.

Given the success of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, earlier this year, it is to no surprise the company’s musical director Ben Woodward has brought a blizzard of Verdi’s mesmerising score into the medium sized hall swimmingly.

With a reduced orchestra, of double basses, strings and sassy woodwinds, on the left, the opera opens up with the church altar as a pub, with a beer dispenser, and our grumpy Falstaff dressed in a tracksuit shouting out, ‘Musica!’ to the orchestra. Then, the grand music and silliness begins.

Director Daisy Evans sets the opera in contemporary East London where sports gear, chunky earrings and caked on make-up co-exist.

The opera follows Falstaff plotting and scheming to pay off his dues by seducing the rich wives Alice (Catherine Rogers) and Meg (Jemma Brown). He produces duplicate love letters, on tissue, which he unhygienically coughs and blows his nose on.

Yet these women are smart and well aware of Falstaff conniving plans that they decide to manipulate and exploit Falstaff with their own little game.

As a consequence, Alice’s husband Ford (Oliver Gibbs) suffers the brute of misplaced jealousy and designs a scheme of his own. Nonetheless it’s all done in good humour and everyone lives happily ever after.

[Left to Right: Mrs. Quickly (Lindsay Bramley), Meg (Jemma Brown), Nannetta (Caroline Kennedy) & Alice (Catherine Rogers)

The marvellous singing cannot go unmentioned. Keel Watson is our scary, farcical and arrogant Falstaff and he does an excellent job of singing like it. Having sung at world concerts, his experience flows and weaves between the most sweet and most heated arias.

Also having witnessed Gibbs as the sorrowful Rigoletto with Opera Loki, again, he strikes a heart’s chord even if there’s no deeper tragedy in the opera. His arias show Ford’s naïve jealously and loving loyalty to Alice which is exhibiting in Verdi’s great music.

Hot pink booby top wearing Alice is excitingly sung by Rogers. She shows off her soaring voice while Perth born Roberto Abate’s manages to impress with his smooth tenor timber as the smitten lover boy Fenton. And Caroline Kennedy as the impish Nanneta sang high notes in an utterly butterly manner.

The build up of the real farce, where Nannetta and Fenton are mistaken for Falstaff as he hides away in a pile of laundry, is rather messy, but gives the audience the giggle expected from the opera.

The music and cast were irresistible and engaging. The musicians’ talents and vocal tenacity of its singers cannot go unquestioned. Bizarrely funny and something Shakespeare would have laughed about too.

This production as ended but is currently showing in a brand new location for Grimeborn's 2015 Programme until the 22nd August! Click here for more details and to purchase tickets

This review was first published in Flock To The Crown.

Fulham Opera: Falstaff ****

By Mary Grace Nguyen

[Left to Right: Oliver Gibbs, Catherine Rogers and Keel Watson]

There’s much to enjoy about Falstaff; the final opera composed by Verdi. It refuted many of his contemporaries including Rossini and proved that he could write comedy operas just as well as his great tragic operas like La Traviata. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor, Verdi and his librettist Arrigo Boito produced a witty and vivacious opera that has charmed audiences since its premier in 1893. Now the little opera company Fulham Opera have stepped in and created a larger-than-life production of Falstaff at their resident St John’s Church.

Given the success of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, earlier this year, it is to no surprise the company’s musical director Ben Woodward has brought a blizzard of Verdi’s mesmerising score into the medium sized hall swimmingly. With a reduced orchestra, of double basses, strings and sassy woodwinds, on the left, the opera opens up with the church altar as a pub, with a beer dispenser, and our grumpy Falstaff dressed in a tracksuit shouting out, ‘Musica!’ to the orchestra. Then, the grand music and silliness begins.

Director Daisy Evans sets the opera in contemporary East London where sports gear, chunky earrings and caked on make-up co-exist. The opera follows Falstaff plotting and scheming to pay off his dues by seducing the rich wives Alice (Catherine Rogers) and Meg (Jemma Brown). He produces duplicate love letters, on tissue, which he unhygienically coughs and blows his nose on. His lackeys (Jonathan Finney and Antoine Salmon) are useless and clownishly back out of his scheme leaving Falstaff to hand the letters to his quiet pageboy Robin (superbly played by Richard Marshall) to carry out the deed.

Ford (Oliver Gibbs), Falstaff (Keel Watson) and Robin (Richard Marshall)

Yet these women are smart and well aware of Falstaff conniving plans that they decide to manipulate and exploit Falstaff with their own little game. As a consequence, Alice's husband Ford (Oliver Gibbs) suffers the brute of misplaced jealousy and designs a scheme of his own. Nonetheless it’s all done in good humour and everyone lives happily ever after.

The marvellous singing cannot go unmentioned. Keel Watson is our scary, farcical and arrogant Falstaff and he does an excellent job of singing like it. Having sung at world concerts, his experience flows and weaves between the most sweet and most heated arias. Also having witnessed Gibbs as the sorrowful Rigoletto with Opera Loki, again, he strikes a heart's chord even if there’s no deeper tragedy in the opera. His arias show Ford’s naïve jealously and loving loyalty to Alice which is exhibiting in Verdi's great music.

Hot pink booby top wearing Alice is excitingly sung by Rogers. She shows off her soaring voice while Perth born Roberto Abate’s manages to impress with his smooth tenor timber as the smitten lover boy Fenton. Caroline Kennedy as the tiny and impish Nanneta sang high notes as if they were second nature to her in an utterly butterly manner.

[Left to Right: Mrs. Quickly (Lindsay Bramley), Meg (Jemma Brown), Nannetta (Caroline Kennedy) & Alice (Catherine Rogers)

Stage gags include Falstaff handing a present: a piece of bounty chocolate out of its wrapper to Mrs Quickly who was cheekily sung by Lindsay Brown and Ford repetitively stealing Falstaff's beer away from him. The build up of the real farce, where Nannetta and Fenton are mistaken for Falstaff as he hides away in a pile of laundry, is rather messy, but gives the audience the giggle expected from the opera.

The music and cast were irresistible and engaging, yet it was a strain to watch at times as the stage was split between the altar and the back of the room with members running up and down of it. With that, some audiences had difficulty reading some of the subtitles. I can’t help but think that if the audiences’ chairs were positioned on one side of the room that they could have enjoyed it a bit more. Staging aside, the musicians’ talents and vocal tenacity of its singers cannot go unquestioned. Bizarrely funny and something Shakespeare would have laughed about too.  

For more information about Fulham Opera and to book tickets please click here. Next two showings are on the 14th and 16th November 2014

Fridays at 7.30pm, Sundays at 5pm

St John’s Church, Fulham: North End Road, SW6 1PB

My review ticket was provided by Fulham Opera and photos are courtesy of Fulham Opera. 

Totally impressed with #Falstaff @fulhamopera Couldn't stop giggling! #Watson #Rogers #Gibbs #Abate were the #tourdeforce.Excellent singing!
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) November 8, 2014

Royal Festival Hall: Les Martyrs with Opera Rara and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment ★★★★

 By Mary Grace Nguyen

Last night, Opera Rara and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) came together to introduce Donizetti’s Les Martyrs at the Royal Festival Hall. It is an opera that is rarely performed, and was a pleasure to hear, for the first time, in a concert format with performances from a selection of buoyant and sumptuous singers including the exciting conducting of Mark Elder. 

Poliuto is the original Italian opera written by Donizetti in 1838; two years later he re-wrote the opera in French hence, Les Martyrs. It was perfectly composed by Donizetti to entertain the Parisians of the 1840s. The story is loosely based on Pierre Corneille’s 1642 tragic play Polyeucte and - at the time -  blasphemous subject of Christian Martyrdom. Just before its premier in 1838, it was censored in Naples due to the controversial nature of the opera.  

Les Martyrs is a ravishing piece filled with recitatives, Italian musical forms and sweet choral sounds. The overture alone is filled with a variety of melodies that conjure beauty, joy, love and religious tension, which was elegantly applied by the OAE’s strings, harps and enthusiastic double basses. The energetic force of Elder was present through the outstanding performance of the OAE particularly the woodwind and oaky brass instruments who were also accompanied by fanfares; these musicians would poke out from up and beyond the stage, intermittently, throughout the opera. 

Donizetti originally wrote the opera with a divertissement but this was taken out for the evening’s performance. This didn't have a negative effect on the evening as the opera had some of the most lavishly sung operas including 'O sainte mélodie! Concerts harmonieux.'

Rehearsals: Mark Elder with  Joyce El-Khoury

The story is set just after the Romans had conquered Armenia. The Roman Polyeucte (Michael Spyres) decides to convert to Christianity and his wife Pauline (Joyce El-Khoury), who is confident of her Pagan religion, tries to encourage Polyeucte to believe otherwise. Pauline’s father Félix (David Kempster) is the Governor of Armenia who instructs his secretaries to transcribe edicts sentencing Christians to death. The opera which is finely written with potent themes of heroism, religious devotion and revelation is constructed with glorious music which ends  dramatically: Christians are served on a platter to lions as ordered by the high priests and governors of Romans, including Pauline who miraculously converts to Christianity. This scene was cleverly encapsulated in Donizetti’s music: you could hear the energy of the OAE (and the roar of the lions.) 

Opera Rara singers, both as Christians and pagans, sang with strength and vigour which brought audiences back to Paris as it would have been experienced in the early 1800s. Some solos were also reinforced by Andrew Friendhoff, Rosalind Waters and Simon Preece.

Joyce El-Khoury sang as the tenacious and graceful Pauline. Dressed in a black, elegant and ‘poofy’ dress, the Canadian soprano sang with endearing charm that took the audiences’ breathe away. Such songs including ‘O toi, qui fus témoin de l'amour de Sévère’ were sung with delicacy and (may I say) spiritualism, finely portraying her coloratura talents.

Michael Spyres sang as our troublemaker and Roman rebel Polyeucte. As a bel canto tenor, he bought out an elated spirit in Polyeucte which is well suited for a man who has seen the light, so to speak, and converted religion. Yet there was also something silky smooth about Spyres voice that got the audience excited. This was re-affirmed when he sang an e natural in the aria ‘Oui, j'irai dans leurs temples’ (as he told me on twitter), which was part of the original score of Donizetti, which he also admitted was ‘a bit mad!’. Mark Elder was just as shocked as the audience as he had to turn around to make sure it was real.

@MaryGNguyen @operabinoculars @CC_sharp @imperial_mint fyi the note is original and in the score... top E natural! a bit mad isn't it?
— Michael Spyres (@Spikelmyers) November 5, 2014

David Kempster, Brindley Sherratt and Clive Bayley were on top form too boldly making their Roman authoritarian presence known. They managed to heighten the ominous tone of the opera that lead onto the sextet ‘a la lucia di Lammermoor’ which includes Wynne Evans as Polyeucte's Christian friend Néarque. Evans proved that he does more than simply sing Go compare! adverts. The honest and genuineness of his character was vocally carried with loveliness.

Christian Husband and Pagan Wife: Joyce El-Khoury & Michael Spyres

The opera was an absorbing experience. The Royal Festival Hall’s acoustic also showed off its skills as I could hear the OAE, Opera Rara chorus and opera singers clearly - as far back as row SS! Here’s hoping that next year's season of Glyndebourne can live up to the standards that this show has successfully executed. 

The South Bank Centre has more evants with the OAE. Click here for more information. For more information about the OAE click here and for Opera Rara, click here. (I purchased my own ticket for the evening's opera.)

#lesmartyrs @theoae Mesmerising & beautiful tonight @Spikelmyers @JoyceSoprano #davidkempster @wynneevans @OperaRara pic.twitter.com/OzbbVq38vS
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) November 4, 2014

REVIEW of Martin Kušej's IDOMENEO ★★★ Shark without enough bite

Sophie Bevan (Ilia) and Matthew Polenzani (Idomeneo) 
By Mary Grace Nguyen 

Mozart’s earlier opera Idomeneo first performed in 1781, 5 years prior to Le Nozze de Figaro, is regarded as one of his maturer operatic works, which is honey-soaked in mythology, and tales of rulership and fatherhood. Sea monsters, princesses and Greek soldiers permeate the opera’s sublime score; we find similar musical traces in some of his later works including Don Giovanni and Requiem. Unfortunately Austrian director Martin Kušej and his regietheatre (translated as 'director’s theatre' in German) production with Annette Murschetz’s minimalistic, rotating stage - set in no particular time or space - let the show down through its sheer lack of imagination and inability to inspire the audience.

Yet Kušej would argue that despite being lumped with the regietheatre crowd, he works collaboratively with production teams and doesn’t understand what regietheatre means, anyway.

For a start there's no hint of a divine creature in this production, but that of a man. Kusej says, “... I don’t believe in gods. Religion, ideology — it’s all a fake.” So, we set off with a re-written story. Consider that the original is based on King Idomeneo’s vow to the god Neptune who must sacrifice the life of the first human he sets his eyes on to survive a sea storm; luckily he lives but, shamefully, his son Idamante is the victim. For Kušej's production religion is ditched for realpolitik and Idomeneo rationalises the killing of his son for the sake of his throne.

Father and son: Polenzani & Franco Fagioli (Idamante)

The semi-love triangle remains intact nonetheless, which shakes up these political tension between Idamante and Ilia, daughter of Idomeneo’s enemy. Elettra, the adamant Princess of Argos and Greek ally to the King, wants to rule Greece with Idamante as her betrothed husband, which adds more juice to the dramatic piece, and some hearty arias.

These slight amendments by Kušej foreshadow many of the arbitrary and abstract concepts thrown onto the stage: red flags to symbolise rebellion; children dressed in white vests and shorts to represent a prosperous future; heaps of bloodied clothes to depict the number of war dead; and a giant shark (as oppose to a mythic sea monster) to signify a made-up sacrilegious cult. This somewhat modern and minimalistic take of the opera, with large rooms sliding through with things you wouldn't expect, is quite artsy.  In some scenes of act I and act II they were set amongst rain, which was audibly enhanced simultaneously by the ROH's orchestra and brilliant conducting of Marc Minkowski. 

Yet these gestures were often enigmatic and ambiguous. The audience were left trying to fill in the gaps as oppose to figuring out what the so-called regietheatre director Kušej was trying to say about the opera. It seemed that the cold moving stage didn’t move me nor engage my interest as much as I would have liked particularly for a score brimming with warmth and affection. 

Austrian director Martin Kušej

The French conductor Minkowski and the Royal Opera House orchestra were on top form splendidly enchanting the audience with Mozart’s spellbinding work. American Tenor Matthew Polenzani acted as a Tony Soprano version of Idomeneo; yet his dewy voice painted another story about the love for his son and his position as a feeling King that was vocally distant from a tyrant. Sophie Bevan sang expressively and beautifully as the moral captive presented in a white sexy Athenian dress. Malin Byström needed a bit of warming up before easing into her role however. ‘Tutte nel cor vi sento furie del cupo averno’ was promising enough, but her diction wasn’t always clear. She perfectly clashed with Bevan’s physical image dressed in a navy tight-fitted business suit with red killer heels to match.

Also making their debuts to Covent Garden, amongst Minkowski and Kušej, were Argentinian counter-tenor Franco Fagioli as Idamante and French tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Arbac. Kušej decided against a mezzo-soprano for Fagioli; a voice I haven’t heard of before, which also took some time to get used to but soon realised was rather fruity and unique once acquainted with. He was wobbly when he first entered the stage, yet this was redeemed as he continued to remain consistent and impassioned throughout. Barbeyrac  didn’t make a large impression on me, but I can imagine his singing becoming perfect as the production goes on. Full praise goes to all of the chorus singers for working hard on the stage being pulled and tugged by gangsters that were plucked out of a Matrix film or rock band like Kiss, minus the wild make up.

When asked by Neil Fisher whether he was worried about how he would be received by London audiences, Kušej said: “I don’t care. You can’t imagine what I’ve already survived” Kušej has been booed at and ridiculed for his extreme productions, which he regrettably also had to face this evening: the opening night. A particular choice by the Royal Opera House was to implement a long ballet sequence at the end with no singing or words, which was ghastly to watch but lovely to listen to. Just before this took place, these words were projected on the curtain: ‘the souls of the people are cold. Rigid...’ and I couldn't help but think that there were a few frozen members of the audience in the amphitheatre. That’s for sure. 

The production is showing until 24th November. Please click here for more information.

I purchased my own ticket for this viewing.

References: 

Radical opera director Martin Kusej: Abu Ghraib, Mozart and me by Neil Fisher 

Matthew Polenzani, the Royal Opera's Idomeneo by Mark Valencia

#Rohidomeneo The auditorium booed the director...( can you blame them?) Thank God for ROH orchestra & #Minkowski pic.twitter.com/KLc6kT9QXX
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) November 3, 2014

#ROHidomeneo Triumph to #Polenzani #Fagioli #Bevan #Bystrom #DeBarbeyrac #chorus BUT #Kusej #Murschetz We need a word pic.twitter.com/IbViCmZ82D
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) November 3, 2014

ENO: Marriage of Figaro ****

 The Marriage of Figaro is thee comic opera renowned for being one of Mozart’s wondrous masterpieces: its overture is recognisable even to non-opera fans.  It is performed in most opera house repertoires and, to some, considered a safe-bet for opera first-timers. Yet the challenge opera directors, and respective opera houses, have to face is attempting to re-produce The Marriage of Figaro in an interesting way for opera newbies, which, interchangeably, doesn’t bore veteran operagoers at the same time.

The ENO’s first revival of Fiona Shaw’s 2011 production is staged again this season which brings together her own solution to such a conundrum; her innovative and novel interpretation of Figaro is something entirely hers, that I haven’t seen relayed in any other production.

Instead of the usual 17^th century staging or costume designs, that we are used to, Shaw presents a subtle take on Beaumarchais’s story. A flawless white-painted home, minus a roof, revolves slowly on stage. The house is like a never-ending maze as we watch our characters walk around this circular stage, entering brand new rooms that we hadn’t seen before with various servants attending to their domestic chores; a clever device by Shaw, no less, that brings out the gossip and whispering world of the Count’s home, and the social divide between the noble and working classes.

David Stout is quite an interesting Figaro who is easily tickled by Susanna (Mary Bevan). He yelps loudly to her affectionate ways. He sings well as the ideal and bubbling Figaro we have stuck in our minds. The moment he steps on stage, he's tries to trap a bee in a harpsichord and the overture hasn’t even begun, yet!

Jaime Martin conducts the ENO orchestra with the overture taking over the buzz of the flying nuisance: another quirk of Shaw, yet again! The music was played loudly and in a  ballsy manner; I could hear the boldness even from my balcony seat, which (I’m sure) Martin was aiming for: bringing attention to all of Mozart’s luscious notes.

Bevan’s depiction of Susanna was a delight. Her character was a box of many tricks: witty, smart, sensitive, passionate, loving and sexy at the same time. She set the standards for any mezzo who intends to sing the model Susana. Her voice was loyal and seductive throughout the show as well.  Her early introductory scenes with Figaro were especially playful particularly when they play a silly hat game together with Mozart's jovial music.

The countess, on the other hand, had a different demeanour and vocal sound altogether. Sarah-Jane Brandon held her own and sung with utter smoothness, grandeur and tenderness. (I thought to myself, the only thing missing on the stage was cherubs feeding her grapes.) This all made sense as the wife of the estate. 

This starkly contrasted with Samantha Price as our going-through-puberty Cherubino. Her  naïve boy appearance, with raging hormones ,was on point, yet vocally, for Price (it was her debut role) and understandably, not always consistent. Nonetheless she tried her hardest to reach the peak of Cherubino’s teenager angst through high notes, where needed. Not hitting the mark, but a good effort irrespectively.

Jonathan Best as Dr Bartolo and Lucy Schaufer as Marcellina were also important cast members that added to the amusing drama and slapstick going-ons. When Figaro finds out they are his parents, the reaction from the audience is positive and well deserved. 

Benedict Nelson as the Count however seemed to have lacked the ability to see the humour or be part of the humour on stage. Although vocally strong and successful in showing off a serious, self-important  and arrogant count, I felt, that he played too hard on the opera-seria role in an opera that is meant to be an opera-buffa.  

Peter McKintosh’s stage design is also interesting. The scenes are brought up-to-date in Spanish costume but with many bull skulls and matadors to add to the opera's sexual tone; all done with cheeky methods and metaphors thanks to Jeremy Sams' naughty and slick translation. 

Undoubtedly there's a lot of laughs to be had with Shaw’s revival, yet there were just a few things I wasn’t sure about. Barbarina sung by Ellie Laugharne was elegantly done, yet she was almost used as a prop and distraction from the scene changes taking place just before Act III. She was pretending to vomit from the excessive marriage celebrating, which made some audiences either like it or feel a tad confused: I was part of the latter group. And although done for a cheap gag, I wasn’t entirely convinced by a blind Don Basilio done by Colin Judson. The irony of him singing ‘I see…’ when his character is - clearly - incapable of doing so, was a bit off. Again, these are little quibbles I have that didn't -completely- put down the entertaining evening I had. 

Marriage of Figaro is showing until the 23rd November. Click here for more details.

I purchased my own tickets. Photos are courtesy of the ENO and Mark Ronan's blog.

#ENOfigaro Lots of funny bits with stage hiccups,but who cares!Well done #MaryBevan #SarahJaneBrandon #Petermckintosh pic.twitter.com/50h3f8gVha
— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) October 28, 2014