Music: Claudio Monteverdi
Libretto: Giovanni Francesco Busenello
Director: Ashley Pearson
It’s not unusual for a musical production to celebrate love and romance. It is rare, though, for the love in question to be that between a married man and his mistress.
But then this is the court of Emperor Nero we are talking about. In Claudio Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, we focus on the emperor’s mistress, the titular Poppea, and her eventual ascendence to the throne. The fact that her paramour, Nero (Nerone in Giovanni Francesco Busenello’s libretto), is already married? A minor inconvenience, especially as his current wife, Ottavia, has no intention of going down without a fight.
HGO’s production does its best to eke out the comedic potential inherent in the situation, starting with the triple goddesses of Virtue, Fortune and Love bickering about who has the greater control over mortals. The libretto and the opera’s overall pace do not lend themselves to 21st-century ideas of comedy, so instead, director Ashley Pearson works to give the characters moments of levity throughout.
On occasion, some of the background work, such as that from Jack Harberd’s dissolute soldier, risks distracting from the central performances. The attempts to bring in humour work far better when integrated with the action, such as the flirtation between Ottavia’s page, Valetto (Emily Beech) and Kristina Ammatill’s Damigella.
But while the humour helps carry the audience through an otherwise slow-moving (though plot-heavy) opera, there are also sensuous and sinister plotlines. Henry Sawell’s Seneca, Nerone’s adviser, who unwisely advises his master against dumping Ottavia for Poppea, delivers a moving, blood-soaked Act I finale as he is forced to commit suicide for going against Nerone’s wishes.
In between these extremes of silliness and gore are moments of raunch that vary in satisfaction. Theano Papadaki’s Poppea captures all the necessary allure that the character needs to possess to deserve her central position in the story. Her chemistry with Hera Protopapas’s haughty, highly sexual Nerone works well, incorporating elements of sauciness that reintroduce some of the production’s good humour.
The pair contrasts effectively both with Clover Kayne’s Ottavia and with countertenor Louis Pettitt as Ottone, who starts in love with Poppea himself but who is then commanded to murder her. It’s a charming performance, if one that never seems as fully invested in the character’s romantic entanglements as it could be.
One particular throughline of HGO’s production is the vocal strength of all performers. Monteverdi’s melodies are performed with meticulous care and affection, while also pursuing the emotional charge of the overall story. As L’incoronazione di Poppea celebrates its titular heroine’s eventual ascendence to empress status and her position as a living god, one cannot help but feel that one has witnessed a quality production.
Runs until 16 November 2025
