Conductor: Harry Sever
Director: Jonathan Ainscough
Opera North’s attempt to break down primary school children’s possible prejudices against opera is confusing, entertaining fun, finishing on a triumphant note with the audience joining in on Nessun Dorma. The plot line is simple in its overall scheme even if the details are less clear. The orchestra is interrupted by a boorish caretaker who insists that this theatre has been closed down because nobody likes opera. He then lists the usual objections (foreign language, everybody dies, etc.), but is waylaid by three singers who flit in and out of operatic characters and set about solving the riddle that will keep the theatre open.
There are problems at Huddersfield Town Hall. For a start it’s not a theatre and audiences in Leeds and Salford later on will have the advantage of watching a fully staged production. Designer Bek Palmer manages to fill the front part of the platform with what look like the contents of Opera North’s props and costume department (the orchestra squeezed in behind) and her versatile and colourful costumes give the right theatrical sheen. Another thing that is missing from a theatre staging is the side titles, though the boisterous audience would hardly have given them a second glance.
The ins-and-outs of the plot involve familiar operas, but also rather more obscure ones: at the start the three singers appear as the Clock from L’Enfant et les Sortileges, Bottom from Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and – the only really mainstream choice – Adele from Die Fledermaus. Furthermore the puzzle sheet the children are supposed to complete seems pretty complicated!
It’s doubtful if the children will remember much, if anything, of the information about titles and composers given out along the way, but in the end it doesn’t matter: the succession of operatic characters and the cast’s quick changes, clowning and excellent singing are enough to guarantee a fun 50 minutes, ending when the magic baton bursts into multi-coloured life.
Julia Mariko reveals herself as Adele the maid by stripping off layers of clothing (she came on as a detective) and unveils delightful singing from both Die Fledermaus and The Tales of Hoffman (her stylised moves as a wind-up automaton highly entertaining). Dominic Bevan and Msimelele Mbali join in the fun, the former notable as the Witch from Hansel and Gretel (plus the aforementioned “Nessun Dorma”), the latter a breezy Papageno from The Magic Flute. The one constant through all the character and costume changes was Luke Broughton as the dour caretaker, except – wouldn’t you know? – he’s not totally constant, undergoing an instant conversion to opera. Under Harry Sever the orchestra is its usual admirable self.
Jonathan Ainscough manoeuvres his forces successfully in the limited space and, though it may be unlikely that the cries of “Yes” to the question, “Will you come to see our operas?” will be followed up, at least Opera North has blown away some of the prejudice surrounding the art form.
Reviewed on October 20, 2024 – later performances in Leeds and Salford
The Reviews Hub Score
A fun introduction!
