3 STARS
‘Opera Cocktail’ is a fantastic concept – it is an evening of opera perfectly suited to someone who has never seen opera before. With a simple storyline made up from the best bits of some of opera’s best loved arias, duets and ensembles– from Musetta’s aria from La Bohème, Carmen’s Habanera, and the drinking song from La Traviata – Opera UpClose create an experience that is ideal for those wanting to try opera in an unintimidating and accessible setting.
The skill of the performers involved was undeniable. Flora McIntosh was absolutely mesmerising in her sultry role, and her vocal performance in Carmen’s Habanera was nothing short of astonishing. Elinora-Jane Moran had the most challenging role emotionally, having to convey everything from aloofness, love, and despair in the short space of the show, whilst the two other roles were kept relatively one-note. She achieved this with great aplomb, packing extreme emotion into every breath she took and every note she sang on stage. Lawrence Olsworth-Peter’s voice blended beautifully into Moran’s in their duets. Elspeth Wilkes was the evening’s pianist, and she is truly a remarkable talent to make playing such complex songs appear so effortless.
I did, however, take some issues with the format of the show. Whilst the English translation made the plot easier to follow, the love-triangle story line was so simplistic that a translation didn’t really feel necessary and at times detracted from the power and emotion of the moment. Personally, I would have preferred more expressive expressions and body language to convey the meanings of the song in their original languages, particularly when most of the words were lost due to the singing style anyway.
The use of space was also slightly hit-and-miss. The actors began and ended the shows in the aisle, which meant that the audience was twisting and turning in their seats, and was perhaps slightly too distracting in the characters’ establishing moments. Furthermore, some of the actors’ movements about the stage felt inauthentic and false, as though they were moving purely because they had been standing in place too long, and I did get the sense that more direction could have been utilised in the blocking of the actors.
However, the best moment of the show came from the brilliant use of space during the intermission. The entire audience was asked to leave the auditorium for the intermission and, as we milled about, suddenly a piano was struck up and the actors continued the show in the café. Intimate, playful, and full of cheeky audience interaction, it was an ingenious collaborative move by Lakeside and Opera UpClose that really showcased the best of the actors’ ability.
If you want a show that will provide a pick and mix taster of the world of opera, this is the show for you. Whilst it may have some issues, this is certainly a show that has turned an opera newbie like me into someone who is eager to see what this company will do next.
Edited by: Jess Greaney
Sources:
http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/theatre/event/3292/opera-cocktail.html
http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/theatre/event/3292/opera-cocktail.html