The Magic Flute
For this year’s Fringe Festival, State Opera SA present a musically immaculate and visually striking, if dramatically uneven production of Mozart’s much beloved light opera, The Magic Flute – that is likely to delight fans, even as it leaves opera newbies scratching their heads.
The score is given a suitably sprightly arrangement and Luke Dollman conducts the proceedings with energetic vigour. Timothy Sexton’s English translation of the lyrics have a pleasingly mischievous wit, as does David Lampard’s English dialogue. The entire cast deliver technically impressive renditions of the iconic songs and convey the dramatic arc of each character with conviction. Brenton Spiteri makes for a suitably earnest Prince Charming type, Nicholas Cannon has madcap energy to spare as his eccentric sidekick, Naomi Hede makes for a fetching doe-eyed damsel in distress and Robert England plays the Snidely Whiplash-esque villain with campy slimeball style.
The traditional “Enchanted Forest” setting has been replaced with a surreal urban aesthetic, with costumes and props that combine elements of different time periods together. It’s quite eye catching, but the visual realisation of certain plot points may confuse those not already familiar with the storyline. The choreography is similarly original, and utilises the available performance space well, but sometimes feels a bit too sedate given the wacky hijinks of the plot, resulting in a second act that drags toward the end.
Overall, this is a solid production that does more right than wrong. Still, it is most likely to appeal to those already familiar to the material, on the lookout for a production that approaches it from a new angle.
Benjamin Orchard
Photography; Darren Williams
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