While the thought of Rossini’s original Italian opera may be daunting, Sir Thomas Allen’s whimsical and tumultuous interpretation of the beloved comedy is the perfect introduction to the genre, or hearty welcome back to old friends.
Sung in English, with English subtitles, this opera is an easily accessible jaunt into the complicated and intertwined lives of Count Almaviva, the woman he desires Rosina, and the infamous voice of authority, man about town, Figaro. Young love takes a nonsensical route through fake drunkenness and cases of mistaken identity to triumph, after many trials and tribulations, over the antagonist Doctor Bartolo – Rosina’s objectionable guardian who intends to marry her himself.
In a world where a bedroom window is as much an entry point as the front door, Figaro engineers disguises, rouses and nail biting escapes to bring the couple together in an accurately captured bustling Seville. This action takes place in a masterful set designed by Simon Higlett, complete with building facades that become an aristocratic living room, enhanced by bright Spanish colours and intoxicating costumes that set the viewer firmly within this cat and mouse production.
Complete with a live orchestra and formidable singing voices from the entire ensemble, Rossini’s memorable compositions easily transcend the language shift, resulting in high-speed chants and comic arias that will have the words ‘Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!’ running around your head for hours to come.
It was clear that more than a direct translation had occurred, with the English words “I’ll smash your face in,” not directly lending themselves to the Italian equivalent. Despite this possibly ruffling the feathers of the sternest critics, the hearty laughs from the entire audience rendered this linguistic interpretation a great success for translator Amanda Holden, which favours quick wit over seamless operatic language.
Metatheatrical addresses to the audience from Doctor Bartolo breaking the fourth wall illustrate a stage filled with characters immersed in the frivolities of their actions, singing as a barber, or count, not merely as a performer; the performance lending itself brilliantly to an operatic crescendo of which Rossini would definitely approve.
The jaunts of the production are masterfully crafted by Samuel Dale Johnson’s wry and delightfully arrogant Figaro manoeuvring the actions of Anthony Gregory’s dedicated lover Almaviva. Butting horns with this cunning pair is David Stout as Bartolo who embodies the whimsical fool in a perfect picture of slapstick hilarity that includes a resounding fart, firmly bringing opera to the masses. Scottish Opera’s The Barber of Seville is a joyful exploration of theatrical comedy that deserves to be enjoyed by all. Foray into the world of a desire, jest and slapstick foolishness for a night out in Seville you won’t be forgetting for a while.
Image by James Glossop provided via Capital Theatres Press Release.
