Festival Theatre, Malvern – 15th July 2026
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5*****
Tonight, at Malvern, we are blessed with one Mozart’s blockbusters – The Marriage of Figaro.
The story revolves around the titular marriage of Figaro to Susanna. Susanna objects to the room that they have been given and Figaro cannot fathom why, as it is so handy should the master or mistress of the house ring for them. Susanna then divulges that the master was not benevolent but selfish, in order to have her close for his amorous conquests. Figaro begins to hatch a plan for teaching him a lesson…
The first thing one notices about this Wild Arts production is that the orchestra is on stage, at the rear but in plain sight. Conducted by Orlando Jopling, from the keyboard, the small but perfectly formed chamber orchestra made a joyous sound. Never overpowering, always well balanced and bringing a clarity to the music which did the score justice.
The set was a minimal affair with just enough elements – wooden cubes, movable screens and some sheets – to tell the story, to not get in the way and cause scenery change dilemmas and for the actors to interact with it in a humorous fashion (especially in the last acts). A most inventive use of materials from Designer Laura Jane Stanfield.
The cast were all magnificent and it’s hard to single out anyone in particular since all were singing to the highest quality, with fabulous acting and comedic timing to boot. The gentlemen (Jack Sandison as Figaro, Timothy Nelson as Count Almaviva and Timothy Dawkins as Bartolo/Antonio) all had commanding, sonorous voices and stage presence. I really loved William Searle as Don Basilio – his dancing near the beginning was worth his inclusion alone. A deliciously slimy portrayal.
But it was the ladies who (for me) stole the show. Ellie Neate as Susanna had a voice to die for and she was one minute furious, the next playful and back again. Abbie Ward as Cherubino was obviously having a ball with a deliciously naughty, impish young man to portray. Olivia Ray (as Marcellina) and Eleanor O’Driscoll (as Barbarina) both had their pivotal moments in the opera and were indispensable. But the highlight was Countess Almaviva sung by Elinor Rolfe Johnson. Tender, full of emotion and pathos – hers was a spellbinding performance that was so delicate you felt that just turning up the lights a fraction would be enough to shatter the perfection. Her quiet notes brought a tear to this seasoned theatre goer’s eye!
The plot was a convoluted affair full of twists, misunderstanding (mostly through people jumping to conclusions before asking) and some lovely, deliberate, misdirection involving dressing as others and making assignations in the dead of night. A glorious farce that reminded me of a cross between No Sex Please, We’re British and Gilbert & Sullivan.
But, the true star of the show was the music. Tuneful in the extreme and rightly lauded – everyone helped bring this to life from page to stage. Bravo to everyone involved.
Worth a trip to the theatre (even risking finding out what the England score was)? …a total no-brainer. I cannot recommend this highly enough. A triumph from this incredible company.