The Marriage of Figaro review

Louisa Muller’s detailed, insightful production of Mozart’s classic comedy moves the action from 18th-century Spain to England in the present day. The castle owned by the Almavivas is a somewhat dilapidated English country house; when it rains during the festivities for the multiple weddings in Act III, some of the characters are carrying buckets to catch the rain coming through the roof.

Nevertheless, all the textual references to Spain, Seville, and to Count Almaviva being appointed ambassador to London are retained in this Italian-sung performance.

And how well sung it is. Every member of the cast, from top to bottom, offers vocal excellence and an instrument ideally suited to their individual character. None is more lovely than Gabriella Reyes’ liquid, ample soprano as the Countess, although both Hera Hyesang Park’s charming, sparky Susanna (here the Countess’ assistant rather than maid) and Hongni Wu’s sexually precocious Cherubino match her in sheer quality. Of the leading men, James Newby’s Count is a mess of anger and sexual frustration, voiced with tensile strength; the far more bonhomous Figaro is given dimensionality and bass-baritonal richness by Liam James Karai.

Expertly delivered are secondary roles such as Jonathan Lemalu’s complex Dr Bartolo, Daniel Norman’s thought-through music teacher/intriguer Basilio, Charlotte Bowden’s innocently savvy Barbarina, Jamie Woollard’s dumb, persistent gardener Antonio and Kamil Bień’s flummoxed lawyer Don Curzio. Excellent throughout, Katherine Broderick’s Marcellina deserves a particular mention for showing what a singer can do with a single word: on recognising to her amazement Figaro as her long-lost son, her imaginatively coloured singing of his name – “Raffaello" – is infinitely touching.

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