Reviewed: The Merry Widow

‘The Merry Widow’ was a superb production.

A full audience, a fantastic live orchestra, a committed cast, with electric individual performances, all in the absolutely incredible setting of Castle College’s Great Hall, created an absorbing vibe and an incredible evening.

Last academic year I saw another production by the Durham Opera Ensemble, ‘The Marriage of Figaro’, an opera I am familiar with and a fan of. The full audience was, dare I say it, a surprise. Naively I thought that the word ‘opera’ would be enough to send fellow students scurrying away. As per usual I underestimated the intelligence and taste of my peers. However I do have to admit that the incredible popularity and reputation student opera now holds in Durham is a real testament the Durham Opera Ensemble. How can you not be a fan of opera when it is performed, as it should, and so well? ‘The Merry Widow’, an operetta, was again another triumph of their work in Durham.

An operetta is a form I was not familiar with before I saw this production. Initially I felt perhaps a trifle scammed as the musical and singing elements were so powerful, I thought the ‘speaking’ may detract from the overall performance.  However I was wrong. The cast somehow were not only incredible vocally, but were astounding actors. They all, and I really mean all, managed to maintain the poignancy of the more romantic and sentimental moments, captured in the voice, and combine it with the comedy and farce of the prose. Even the more proverbial translation by Jeremy Sams, i.e. ‘I wish you would just buzz off’, was dealt with in the stride of this well-put-together cast. Some performances, even above the others, really did stand out. I found out after the performance that Polly had replaced Charlotte la Thrope, the original owner of this part, after Charlotte had lost her voice on Wednesday night. Therefore the performance I saw on Friday, and the subsequent Saturday and Sunday performances were learnt entirely last minute! This was a truly incredible feat for such a massive role and makes her stellar performance all the more extraordinary. Her romantic counter-part, played by Jordan Carlton was perhaps slightly less vocally impressive. However he had a hard act to follow and his European Dr. Who ‘look’ perfectly captured the cheeky and appealing nature of his character. Backed up by a strong and impressive performance by Lewis Whyte and Elen Lloyd Roberts the central four characters where an impressive sight to behold.

The only disadvantage with the location of the Great Hall was that, sat slightly further back, it was impossible to see all the action on stage – due to it not being raised. This minor criticism can however be counter-acted by the fact that every single cast member was visually engaged with the audience at all times, so whomever you could spy, through various heads, was a pleasure to watch. Indeed the vocal performances by other cast members was very impressive – this was epitomized in the beautifully harmonized and provocative all-male song ‘Who can tell what the hell women want?’

The live orchestra was another real pleasure. Perfectly balanced with the singers, the music was performed brilliantly and the musical director and conductor, Matthew Howes, deserves praise for his work on this production. Combined with the subtle yet effective lighting, the costumes and the surrounding of a 900 year old Hall, you really did feel you were in Franz Lehár’s world.

An electrifying production. If you have a chance, go, and see why opera is a big thing in Durham.