Tosca – Opera Holland Park, London

Composer: Giacomo Puccini

Director: Stephen Barlow

Conductor: Matthew Kofi Waldren

A gripping love story set against political corruption in 1960s Italy feels oddly timely as Opera Holland Park revives its production of Tosca.

Stephen Barlow’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s opera sees singing diva Floria Tosca clash with the cruel political leader Scarpia, as she tries to protect her lover Mario Cavaradossi who is harbouring political fugitive Cesare Angelotti. As the piece unfolds, Tosca is forced into a corner in order to protect her lover from certain death, leading to devastating and shocking consequences.

Barlow’s decision to move Puccini’s opera one century forward from the 19th to the 20th is an interesting choice and one that feels quite relevant today given the political upheaval ongoing in Italy. This is enhanced well by Yannis Thavoris’ set design, with propaganda posters featuring Scarpia’s face plastered across the back wall immediately creating a sense of threat, evoking images of dictators, while the neon cafe signs throw us into 60s Italy. In addition, Tosca is accompanied by the slick City of London Sinfonia, conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren, faultless in their delivery of Puccini’s piece.

As the eponymous Tosca, soprano Amanda Echalaz is simply stunning. There is a grace to her performance which gives her an immense presence in this production, with the power of Echalaz’s voice being particularly gripping during a brutal second half as Tosca fights for her life and for those she loves.

Alongside Echalaz, tenor José de Eça captures the passion of Cavaradossi’s character well. The pain in his voice as the political trial unfolds is palpable, and like Echalaz, de Eça’s performance is extremely watchable. The pair bounce off each other well and, as their love reaches its dramatic climax, there is certainly enough chemistry between them to keep you invested.

What makes this particular production, on this evening, unique is the circumstances around Scarpia’s character. Morgan Pearse, who plays the villain, was too ill to sing his piece, but, we are told as the curtain rises by Opera Holland Park CEO James Clutton, that he would essentially mime and act the piece out while his lines would be sung off-stage by a stand-in. It is not that this did not work, both individuals do a superb job given the circumstances, but this inevitably detracts from the piece a little, and as a result Scarpia just does not feel that overly menacing until the very end.

Indeed, it is the pacing and the plotting of this particular revival that does hinder the piece a little. The first half reaches quite a powerful conclusion, with the townspeople coming together to cheer, and jeer Scarpia’s name as election fever hits, yet this power and momentum is lost in the second half which is much slower and troubled by a painfully long set change between Acts 2 and 3, before then rushing its conclusion. You cannot doubt the quality of the performances but the pacing issue does impact the momentum of the piece and Tosca’s dangerous decisions.

Nevertheless, this production of Tosca certainly has enough about it to keep audiences interested. This is remarkably performed by a stunning cast, and talented ensemble and orchestra to bring Puccini’s work into a different era, and Barlow’s staging still enables Tosca’s shocking end to hit home.

Runs until 22 June 2024