Writers: Norman Welch and Edward Lambert, with additional material by Ambrose Bierce & the Latin Requiem Mass
Directors: Tabitha Benton-Evans and Jenny Weston
Music: Edward Lambert
Masks, opera singing, witty one-liners; The Burning Question is a fun musical opera, albeit needing some refinement. The opera is a comedic vision of purgatory as a broken-down lift, controlled by a caretaker dressed in security uniform and alluding to border control. Stuck in tandem due to the Pope’s lust from many years ago, we get an insight into the Pope’s human weakness via the angel and devil on her shoulders.
The opera starts with a movement piece which is perhaps confusing, but it does succeed in setting the scene for a modern and innovative performance. The audience is accompanied by an angel/ devil duo throughout; the angelic Pope’s maid, Arianna, and the son of Satan, Ignacio. Ignacio, played by Henry Grigg, is the cheeky, insecure son of hell, in love with angel Arianna. Grigg has strong stage presence and confidence as he enjoys playing with his devilish character. Arianna, played by Louise Fuller, is a charming, naïve angel; “Is sex even real?”. She offers an easily readable character of an angel on earth, providing something solid to hold onto throughout the occasionally confusing performance.
We find ourselves in a broken-down lift where the female pope, played by Arlene Belli, passes into the afterlife. Instead of the expected stairway to heaven, the Pope discovers to her disdain that she is neither good enough for heaven nor bad enough for hell. Her sin, it turns out, is lust, which leads to some humour mid-performance as we discover the object (and result) of her desire.
Humour pitter-patters throughout the opera. One particularly humourous scene is when the caretaker of purgatory, San Pietro played by Samuel Lom, declares that there must be a love scene in order for this to be considered a real opera. Grigg and Fuller excel in this scene dedicated to them, as they become lovers. It is a crucial part of the opera as it leads to the conclusion of the story; that love is the highest of powers, even above God, Heaven and Hell.
The four actors all deliver a committed performance although there is an amateur-ish feel throughout. Lom’s purgatory caretaker is a fantastically sinister character which sets him apart from the other three characters. The jokes comparing purgatory to border control and home office administration are easy to make but add to the comedy and keep the opera in the present. The Pope, played by Belli offers some vulnerability. She shines as she recounts her tale of falling in love. The movement is also particularly well directed in this scene, using the other characters as trees with flower wreaths hanging off them.
The movement, lead by Jenny Weston, is executed well. The small space becomes the perfect stage for the well thought-out choreography. Unfortunately, the storyline is at times confusing which results in the movement losing its purpose, but nevertheless enriching the performance. The lighting is impressively mastered, creating the apt atmosphere at each moment and never distracting from the direction of the opera. The singing is another point of celebration. The four voices provide the choral vibrations associated with the Church, taking the audience to somewhere holy, and adding to the religious storyline.
The Burning Question delivers the comedic opera we are promised, including impressive vocal performances and an unafraid approach to movement. One could say its amateur nature added to the charm, however, the occasional lack of clarity leads to a confusing production.
Runs until 18 February 2023
