Reviewed: ‘The Marriage of Figaro’

It was with no real preconceptions that I entered the beautiful hall of Durham castle, to watch Durham Opera Ensemble's production of 'The Marriage of Figaro'. Having never before seen an opera – much to my shame – 'The Marriage of Figaro' was always going to be momentous, and indeed it was.

Mozart's stunning score was played flawlessly by James Day's orchestra; filling the great hall with a sublime atmosphere and creating the perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama. The way in which voice and orchestra melded together was truly spectacular, heightening emotion and frequently forming scenes which were aurally magnificent.

Each cast members voice was undeniably outstanding, though I found myself simply spellbound by the female leads. Emily Owen (Countess Almaviva) and Charlotte La Thrope (Susanna) were dazzling. Owen's solo scene in the second act was stunning and proved a lovely contrast to the farcical comedy of other acts. When coming together as a pair, Owen and La Thrope's voices rang through the rafters of the hall in gorgeous harmony, and I felt it was in these moments that their close relationship was exquisitely depicted.

Fleur Moore-Bridger (Marcellina) was comic perfection. Her outlandish physical and facial expressions and vocal intimations made her a joy to watch, causing her to steal the limelight particularly within the scene of Figaro's revealed parentage. She was profoundly memorable (both to eye and ear) and just adored by the audience. Similarly amusing was Rosy Rowell's Cherubino whose exasperation and fidgety frustration wonderfully captured that of a lovable little boy.

There were moments when the performance almost wavered into that of the pantomime, however, I am a girl used to straight theatre. I came to realise that the exaggeration of the characters was what was needed to convey the farcical elements of this production. Opera's purpose is not wholly to replicate real life, but to heighten it by use of embellishment and melody. Anna Bailey (Director) and David Knowles' (Assistant Director) nod toward Commedia Dell'Arte allowed their cast to encompass the stereotypical aspects of their character, but not be overwhelmed by them. A huge directorial achievement enabling a performance which an audience was able to relish in.

As the later acts gathered momentum, the male leads were able to come into their own. Leo Morrell's Count Almaviva becoming sleazier and more fantastically repellent in contrast to James Hyde's wonderfully adorable Figaro. The finishing touch to the production as a whole was perhaps the marvellous costumes. Adding a sense of period to the piece they looked beautiful, as well as being integral to the plot.

I found there were occasions when a cast member's voice was lost amidst the orchestration, which was as shame, but it didn't detract from the general spectacle; it was physicality which told the tale of the marriage of Figaro.

The final scenes were the most spectacular. With the whole ensemble coming together in a resplendent chorus, the opera ended on the most splendid note (pardon the pun) leaving the audience in awe.

So, my first opera was quite the success. DOE is absolutely rife with talent and made the three hour performance a pleasure; Bailey has been true to her phrase 'levity over loftiness' and has fashioned an extraordinarily heart-warming and hilarious production.