Composer: W A Mozart
Director: John Savournin
Musical Director: David Eaton
Charles Court Opera returns to Wilton’s Music Hall with its small but mighty production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. They bring beautiful voices, David Eaton doubling on musical direction and one-person piano accompaniment, daring design choices, and some very excellent puppets. What they don’t bring is solemnity. Mozart is respected, but he isn’t worshipped.
Wilton’s seedy magnificence is transformed into an Aztec temple, complemented by Martins Smaukstelis’ Tamino, who channels his inner Indiana Jones to make an otherwise weedy lead an intrepid jungle explorer. His flute playing is extraordinary. Magic even. The magic may be due to excellent sound design, but magic nonetheless.
The whole cast embraces a pantomimic vigour, helped by John Savournin’s bold embrace of clunky couplets and contemporary references. Three Dayglo serpents writhing in blacklight are a high spot, and Joe Ashmore twirls his moustachios like a villain in a silent film.
They play at pace, they relish their fantastic costumes, which makes everyone in the cast a parrot at some point, and the evening zooms by, two hours (plus interval) of top-notch operatic entertainment, some great thunder effects from the sound design, powerful lighting effects for set pieces, and puppets – serpents, toucans, macaws, the stage swarms with the things.
Opera however is traditionally judged by the singing. Voices are exposed by the starkness of the solo piano accompaniment, and taxed by the running around the cast is required to engage in. It isn’t an easy ask, and this company manages it really well. The best moment in song is the second-act aria from Eleri Gwilym’s Queen of the Night, and that is truly thrilling. That she looks like Theda Bara is a considerable bonus, and adds to the pantomime-cum-silent movie vibe.
Charles Court Opera specialises in boutique productions, mounted in small venues. It is a worthy plan to make opera unscary, and also fun. John Savournin directs his company to wonderful effect, and anyone not previously persuaded by the whole Opera thing will find his company’s productions a welcoming, unpatronising introduction to the medium. That the singing is glorious, the designs bold and engaging, and the productions paced from fast to break-neck make them a company to cherish. This is a great introduction to a classic opera for those who don’t know it and an excellent evening’s entertainment for those who do.
Also parrots, serpents in blacklight, and Eleri Gwilym as Theda Bara singing the Queen of the Night’s Der Hölle Rache… aria. What’s not to like?
Runs until 8 March 2025
