Presented by State Opera
Reviewed 19th February 2016
Mozart’s eternally popular Magic Flute has been given a light, modern re-imagining by director and designer, David Lampard, as part of State Opera’s 2016 Evolved season.
Being a quirky and rather silly story, this keystone of the opera canon lends itself happily to Lampard’s mixture of modernity, symbolism and deco. And as the story revolves around a Masonic-like brotherhood, the beautiful Freemasons Great Hall is a perfect choice of setting. The only jarring note, is the incredibly uncomfortable seating, which, if this were a standard one-hour Fringe show, wouldn’t be a problem. For a full-length opera, it’s a serious consideration.
Brenton Spiteri and Nicholas Cannon shone as Tamino and Papageno respectively, whilst Joanna McWaters sung her heart out as Queen of the Night, a notoriously difficult soprano role. Adam Goodburn as Monostatos and Robert England as Sarastro, both have a strong stage presence, and Karina Kay’s Papagena was delightfully quirky and charming. The role of Pamina is being shared by Naomi Hede and Desiree Frahn, wonderful singers both.
Under Luke Dollman’s baton, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in small, Mozartian formation, played with lightness and verve.
Special mention must go to Daniel Barber for lighting which added depth to Lampard’s stage design.
Testament to the brilliance of our own opera company and symphony orchestra, this season is almost sold-out. So if you are thinking of going…don’t hesitate! If you’ve never been to opera before, then this is a great introduction.
Just take a cushion…
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Your Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating (out of 5): 4
Venue: Freemasons Great Hall
Season: 18,19,22,23, 24 February 7.30 pm 20 February 3.00 pm
Duration: 170 minutes
Tickets: $80 – $110
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or at a FringeTix box office (booking fees apply)
https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
More News
