Gaetano Donizetti
Wild Arts Ensemble
Directed by: Guido Martin-Brandis
Donizetti’s comic melodrama is given a fabulous treatment by the Wild Arts Ensemble, translated into English by Joseph Morris with plenty of local references inserted into the text, a very able cast and a small orchestra combine to great effect bringing out all the fun of the original.
Re-imagined from the original setting of the 1830s in the Basque country to the 1950s at an unspecified seaside town, this production keeps the focus on the singing and music helped by a very simple set design, just a dark curtain as a back drop and some deck chairs and a table or two. Even having the small orchestra on stage is not a distraction. Calling them a chamber orchestra is not quite right, there are the usual elements involved but with the addition of a trumpet and accordion to fill out the sound. Orlando Jopling conducts with aplomb with the small ensemble keeping a lively pace going without ever being intrusive, a perfect backdrop to some impressive vocal performances from the cast. Sharing the stage with the cast in a relatively small venue such as tonight’s pleasingly full auditorium, it would be easy for the music to overwhelm the singing, here however a perfect balance is kept between the two elements.
The tale is a simple one of Nemorino’s love of Adina, he a shy man, she a rather more knowing lady, aware of his feelings and doing everything she can to test him. Egged on by his friends who seem to enjoy jokes at his expense Nemorino cannot quite get past Adina’s defences. Desperate to turn his fortunes around he turns to itinerant medicine man Dulcamara. Fortuitously Dr Dulcamara just happens to have a potion that will cure Nemorino of his shyness and fill him with confidence such that Adina will fall hopelessly in love with him.
As Adina, Galina Averina brings a vibrancy to the role, with a good depth to her voice and admirable clarity the audience is kept enthralled, her duets with Xavier Hetherington’s Nemorino and also with Timothy Nelson’s Belcore are a delight as she more than holds her own.
Hetherington as Nemorino projects the right level of shyness contrasted with the over confidence he gains once he has taken Dulcamara’s potion, to him falls the honour of the most well-known aria ‘Una Furtive Lagrima’ which he delivers beautifully, as he does with all of his other solos. Nelson portrays Belcore with a level of pomposity that stays just the right side of caricature, keeping the inflated sense of self-importance under control whilst at the same time allowing the audience to take a dislike to his manner. In common with the rest of the cast he too sings beautifully, with the requisite power but also a level of refinement as well.
Most of the fun though seems to be had by Alex Jones as Dulcamara, his asides to the audience, the knowing looks and facial expressions and his innate sense of timing all combine to good measure. His cheerful demeanour permeates his delivery and even he seems slightly surprised when his potion appears to work, but he’s soon back on track realising this just means more customers rather than increased pride in his product.
Although the production is somewhat stripped down in terms of set decoration and choreography the entertainment remains in full thanks to the musical arrangements, the talents of the leads and the enthusiasm and ability of the small chorus who manage to produce a much larger sound than one would expect. A delight from start to finish.
Wild Arts are performing at various venues across the country throughout the remainder of the year.
