The Barber of Seville

The Barber of Seville is a very funny opera that provides ample opportunity for slapstick humour and the classic amusing confusion caused by disguise and pretence. With a contemporary lens, the gender dynamics in this story are very questionable. Dr Bartolo (Andrew Moran) exerts a form of coercive control over his ward, Rosina (Helen Sherman), but she is not cast as a victim or a wallflower. Rosina rebels against such patriarchal oppression and chooses her own husband, Count Almaviva (Shanul Sharma), with the help of the lovable and endearing barber, Figaro (Samuel Dundas).

The staging of this performance is well thought out and conceived. The setting is imagined in a 1920s Seville in the era of the new woman, flappers and silent cinema which featured characters such as the Keystone Cops. This is an ingenious approach as it helps to bring Rosina’s rebellious nature to the foreground and creates a perfect context for the tongue-in-cheek style of humour. The set design (Michael Yeargan) indulges this by creating cartoon-like or animated effects and presenting Bartolo’s home as a doll’s house. This is extremely striking, especially with an interior design that matches the boldness of the story and the humour. At times the structure of the house created some odd concentration of action in very confined spaces. Nonetheless, the atmosphere is heavily oriented towards fun and laughter and this is further accentuated in the rich and colourful costume design (Dona Granata). The comic atmosphere is also achieved by the distinctive lighting effects (Howard Harrison) that effectively capture the imagery of the era.

The singing is exquisite, and the entire cast deliver lively and energetic performances. Sherman gives Rosina a great deal of determination. Sharma makes Almaviva charming, Moran creates a comically dithering Bartolo and Don Basilio (David Parkin) is played with hilarious outlandish fervour. The music is beautifully executed by Orchestra Victoria, and the entire atmosphere of the opera is very bright and playful. Despite the chaos and confusion inherent in the story, each character is forcefully brought to life. Ambrogio (Clifford Plumpton) is played with Keaton-like deadpan expressions and Berta (Jane Ede) is cast as the classic meddling housekeeper, and both are given their moments to shine.

The Regent Theatre is the ideal venue for this kind of performance and allows the audience to be truly transported and absorbed by the elegance of the well-crafted and sumptuous visuals, sounds and ambience.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Jeff Busby