The Marriage Of Figaro

Opera. Just the word makes some people’s eyes glaze over, provokes a feeling of either dread or sleep. You might hear words like highbrow or inaccessible thrown around from certain friends or family when they discuss the artform. You might be perusing the entertainment pages for things to do in Perth, see the listing for WA Opera’s The Marriage Of Figaro and think, “Meh. I’d probably have to wear a tie. Plus, that could be three hours I’ll never get back.”

Readers, I’d like to reassure you that although there are certainly operas out there that you would be perfectly right to dread seeing. There are certainly opera productions that are so soporific and/or puzzling that you would be justified taking a nap and/or extended visit to the toilet during the entirety of the third act. And although WA Opera’s The Marriage Of Figaro goes for a whopping three and a half hours, it is not one of those operas. Nope. It’s well worth your time and your tie.

Figaro is a character that’s gotten a lot of coverage over the centuries. He first came to life in French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais’ Figaro Trilogy in the late 18th century, the most famous installments being The Barber Of Seville and The Marriage Of Figaro. These two works inspired composers Rossini and Mozart, respectively, to write two operas of the same names. And thanks to Warner Brothers, Figaro gets immortalized in cartoon form by the Bugs Bunny short, Rabbit Of Seville. There’s your short history of Figaro in pop culture, now let’s get down to what’s happening at The Maj this week.

Figaro is played by one of WA Opera’s finest assets, baritone James Clayton, who leads the way along with Emma Pearson, as his fiancée, Susanna. Pearson was a latecomer to the production, replacing a different Emma, Emma Matthews, who was originally slated to play the role. Clayton and Pearson are perfectly paired, equally matched performers with excellent comic timing, musicianship and presence. The Italian lyrics roll off Clayton’s tongue probably easier than if he were to sing the same in English, and Pearson’s fourth act aria was simply sublime, causing three gentle tears to roll down my cheeks.

Under the direction of Neil Armfield, who originally brought his vision of Figaro to life for Opera Australia in 2011, this bedroom farce gets a whimsical and bawdy treatment. There are a few eye-rollers amongst the frequently genitalia-based gags, but it’s nice to see classical musicians have permission to let loose on stage in a setting where they’re often constrained by corsets and capes. There are some fun little anachronisms in the stage props, and the minimalist set, designed by Dale Ferguson, is bold and sweeping. Ferguson’s period costumes are luxurious, and the support characters’ looks are designed for excellent comedic impact. Of special note is Marcellina’s (Caitlin Cassidy) Frida Kahlo unibrow, which seemed to arrive on scene ahead of Cassidy.

This is by far and away the most fun I’ve had with WA Opera in the last couple of years, though I’ve never had a bad time with them. But somehow the atmosphere was looser, both on stage and in the audience, and though we hit 11pm before they let us out into the street, a good time was had by all. Reserve your “mehs” for other operas, and catch this one before it closes.

Originally published in X-Press Magazine