The Marriage of Figaro
Catching Bouquets
Everyone enjoys a good wedding and that is why the audiences at the Concordia this week will enjoy the union of Stanley Opera with Mozart’s comic classic The Marriage of Figaro.
Musical director Janet Ward may gather one or two blooms from the principals at curtain call but all involved in this marvellous production should be catching bouquets to confirm they will no longer be bridesmaids in their art form.
A celebration of the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth, this coming together of the music of Mozart with a sparkling libretto be Lorenzo Da Ponte, The Marriage of Figaro is a hymn of joy in the hands of director Nick Bacon.
This is the second time a town company has repeated the comedy which marked Stanley’s debut in 1973 and, worthy as the previous ones may have been, I bet the production at the theatre until Saturday is unmatched in quality of presentation.
It is built on strong foundations with established leads in Chris Marlow in the title role, Louise Clarke as his would be bride Susanna, and Andrew Lamb as the Count, again proving why they are natural principals.
But this time Bacon has welcomed in some fine newcomers as main characters: Nicola Bingham as the Countess, Emily Bray as Barbarina and especially Felicity Clarke, Louise’s twin sister, as a petite and nimble Cherubino who commands attention at every appearance.
Add in strong support from Ethne Goode as Marcellina, John Vernon as Antonio, Andrew Robinson as Bartolo and particularly the always enjoyable Vincenzo Sozzo as the foppish Don Basilio in bringing out the humour and you begin to see why this show is so good.
If you ever thought opera was not for you, this could change your mind. It is funny, has tunes you will recognise and is brilliantly executed in melodic tones with hardly a hint of the screeching females who have put me off opera in the past.
What are you waiting for? Grab a ticket and have a great fun evening.
Mitch Irving, Hinckley Times, April 2006
