Review Marriage of Figaro Perth Festival

May 25 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

RUNNING in and out of doors, secret letters in the wrong hands, mistaken identity, dressing-up as the opposite sex, man played by a woman, lovers’ trysts going wrong – no, it was not a Brian Rix tribute night.

Welcome to the world of opera!

The English Touring Opera’s three-night residency at Perth Theatre continued with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, accurately sub-titled “The Day of Madness”

Following on from “The Barber of Seville”, Rosina is now married to Count Almaviva and not Dr Bartolo, thanks to the intervention of Figaro, who is now head of the Count’s servant staff as a reward.

However, the Count is now a scheming, bullying womaniser and has his eyes set on Figaro’s bride-to-be Susanna. Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess join forces to thwart his plans which go predictively awry.

The Count fights back by trying to legally compel Figaro to marry a woman old enough to be his mother.

However, it is revealed in the nick of time that she really is his mother.

Ah, such frivolity played out to the accompaniment of a well-loved Mozart score.

The overture is probably one of the best known even to an operatic ‘illiterati’ such as this scribe.

And the large orchestra under Michael Rosewell was in superb form.

Luckily, for this ignoramus, the piece was sung in English so it was even more apparent than usual when the vocal action was drowned out by the orchestra – ‘forte’ into one does not go.

Mercifully, these moments were few and did not detract from an enjoyable evening.

Robert Davies and Paula Sides were excellent as Figaro and Susanna. Nicholas Lester was suitably dashing as the Count with Laura Mitchell in good voice as the ever-suffering Countess and Niamh Kelly was delightfully expressive as Cherubino.

Few chorus moments to relate, but totally professional in their few chances to shine.

This marriage will go the distance on tour.

Peter Cargill