Lowry, Salford – Tuesday 6 March 2018. Reviewed by Marcus Richardson
5*****
Puccini’s tragic opera “Madama Butterfly” came to the Lowry in Manchester under the company Opera North. The play follows a Geisha called Butterfly, a devoted wife to an American Navy man. Set on a hill near the city Nagasaki, we see how long Butterfly will wait for love.
The play offers powerful visuals and even more powerful acting and vocal ability. The main character of Butterfly played by Anne Sophie Duprels, the fifteen year old to be sold to Lieutenant Pinkerton played by Merūnas Vitulskis. The leading lady gave one of the most spectacular performances I have ever seen in my life, giving the character innocence and charm, whilst being able to sing with a voice that controlled the whole room, and in the end tearing her heart on stage to let the whole weep the tale of Madama Butterfly. The servant of Butterfly is Suzuki played by Anne Taylor, who share a lot of stage time with Duprels, the two had a beautiful connection on stage and gave the second act a lot of energy and life. Taylor’s vocals were also outstanding and gave a performance that complimented the show perfectly. The whole cast of the show were stunning, and I have to note the chorus in the first act who gave an introduction for Butterfly that I don’t think I will ever forget with each member having a different and interesting character.
The set at first seemed rather small with only a tenth of the stage being used, then this metal wall was lived to introduce a stunning Japanese house with walls that moved and gave the house as much character as the actual character, we are given a painting of a volcano in the background which was dormant and added to the picturesque scenery of the show. The band who brought the show to life and worked with the company of actors to deliver what we remember most about the songs from the show, the music, led by Anthony Kraus, I don’t think I heard a single instrument or voice out of tune the whole entire show and there we some complex songs that blew me away.
Whenever I go to the Opera I am always amazed by the sheer talent of the whole production and everyone who is involved in bringing a classic art form to life, but Madama Butterfly blew me away with its stellar and beautiful show. It has become the best opera I have ever seen and I’m looking forward to watching the other two productions of Opera North at the Lowry as part of a trio along with Don Giovanni and Un Ballo in Maschera.