The Turk in Italy

The Turk in Italy
By Giachino Rossini. Libretto by Felice Romani, after libretto by Cterino Mazzolà. Opera Australia. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. January 22 – February 12, 2014.

Frothier than cappuccino, effervescent as champagne, with more plot twists than a TV soapie, Rossini’s 200 year old opera The Turk in Italy delights in Simon Phillips’ brand new tongue-in-cheek 1950s inspired makeover for Opera Australia; a startling achievement for an obscure comic opera, unexceptional in its own right, and modest in reputation.

The opera’s very lack of prior expectations allows the production team a blank canvas on which to weave their magic, and Simon Phillips and team bring all their musical theatre pizzazz, not to mention lashings of vaudeville, slapstick and shtick, to bear in this finely-tuned, primary coloured, farcical production.

The opera bursts onto the stage in a surge of vivid, animated fun, which never lets up, as Phillips weaves a unified thread of broad humour through the entirety of the piece.

In their colourful, stylish period swimwear, the ladies of the ensemble idle away the overture with synchronized silliness, while the swaggering male ensemble fumble with beach chairs and towels, setting the tone for the evening to follow. As the overture proceeds, most of the main characters are introduced in snappy pantomime style.

The inquisitive barman (struggling playwrights working in hospitality is obviously nothing new) at Gabriela Tylesova’s stylishly designed bar (part of a clever revolving retro set) may be jotting down every detail of goings on as the plot for his play, but reality opera this ain’t. Prodoscimo (Samuel Dundas) is a canny commentator, participant and facilitator, knowingly driving much of the action in engaging fashion.

Vivacious, promiscuous Fiorilla (Emma Matthews) already has an aging husband, an Italian lover and the entire male chorus of Opera Australia in tow, when a newly arrived handsome stranger, the Turk of the title, provides one more temptation in the seaside resort, coincidentally, just as his jilted lover turns up with a band of gypsies, providing another complication.

Emma Matthews is, as we expect, in fine form vocally, complemented by her acting range, stretching from flirtatious, finely tuned comedy to dramatic intensity in her final aria.

She heads a strong cast, well matched to both the whimsical character interpretations, and vocal demands of the piece.

As Selim, the flambouyant Turkish lothario of the title, charismatc Paolo Bordogna’s egotistical rock star interpretation is a joy, and his baritone rich and satisfying.

Tenor Luciano Botelho lives up to his character’s name as jilted Latino lover Narcisso, in a primping, preening characterization. His bathing shed antics are wonderfully staged fun.

Conal Coad, Fiorilla’s cuckolded commedia dell’arte husband, delivers with delightfully bewildered bluster, his bass voice and delivery tailor-made for the character. His bar scene with Bordogna and Dundas is a broad comic delight.

Soprano Anna Dowsley charms as Zaida, Fiorilla’s rival for Selim, in her Opera Australia debut. It’s a more sedate romantic role, but Dowsley’s portrayal leaves no-one surprised when she recaptures Selim’s attention.

Simon Phillips’ sight gags culminate in his unique, hilarious version of a masque ball and its aftermath, but to say any more would be a spoiler.

Aussie colloquial surtitles (often pretty crude in keeping with bawdiness of the production), are a hoot adding yet another layer to the fun. And they’re mostly kept pretty sparse, to let us focus on the production.

The orchestra, under maestro Andrea Molinois, is splendid, as one with the spirit of the production, organically contributing to the wit, tone and spark of the stage action.

Director Simon Phillips, with integral contributions from designer Gabriela Tylesova, lighting designer Nick Schlieper and a terrific cast, delivers a memorable night’s entertainment, with lots of appeal to audiences well beyond regular opera-goers.

Neil Litchfield

Images: Paolo Bordogna as Selim, Emma Matthews as Fiorilla & Conal Coad as Geronio; Samuel Dundas as Prosdocimo & the Opera Australia Chorus; Paolo Bordogna as Selim & Anna Dowsley as Zaida; Opera Australia's Chorus and the Principal Cast of Opera Australia's The Turk in Italy. Photographer: Lisa Tomasetti

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