Who knew that all the flavours of Rossini’s opera buffa il doce, The Barber of Seville, could be served-up by eight singer-actors and one man and a piano?
Charles Court Opera has delivered a perfectly pitched and masterful rendition of the famous comic opera in a theatre suited to its salacious capery: Wilton’s Music Hall.
A cold open sees Ellie Laugharne, a saloon hostess, stumble on stage inhabiting the American Western set-up with fully embodied sauce. Her opener introduces two sleeping strangers incognito, and all is fun and games. Soon we are in the milieux of man-about-town, Figaro, played by Jonathan Eyers, who performs his beautifully narcissistic ditty: "Largo Al Factotum", with desired aplomb.
An English translation by David Eaton helps a lot with winning the music-hall crowd. Drawing on idioms of the wild west, and less wild west, the book makes all the hokum of disguise, duplicity and thwarted lust relatable, delivering consistent giggles with TV sitcom irony. An almost impossible task for nineteenth century opera!
Within the caper, moments of fiercely good acting bring recognisable stereotypes to life. Joseph Doody makes Almaviva’s reconnaissance mission as an airy-fairy music teacher irisistable, complete in Los Angeles shades and dilettante top hat. Matthew Kellett plays a delightfully basic Dr Bartolo, Saloon Keeper and keeper of his frustrated ward, Rosina. Figaro is the epitome of the worst in modern-day salespeople and spin-doctors. All are enthusiastically articulated through posturing and mannerism as well as velveteen tone and pitch. Samantha Price gives Rosina’s melodious warning that she will turn into a cat when angered, memorable pacing and gusto—a counterpoint to the bullish men who cavort around her.
The romance, which sees Rosina courted in secret by womanizer Count Almaviva, plays out with a hearty celebration of love’s nonsense and illusions, complete with the lecherous misgivings of old fart Bartolo.
Charles Court Opera is to be applauded for its treatment of a comedy that, so often performed with dizzyingly expensive production values, is at heart a childish romp for adults. Choosing a wild west theme with stock characters, comparable to those of opera, was an inspired move by director John Savournin, not least because Spaghetti Westerns have acclimatised us to this Italian American love-child.
Where transformations in set and AV are spartan, fabulous costumes and confident delivery are abundant in this flawless, midscale production of Rossini’s 1816 classic.