Beautiful and tragic – young love at its best
AN opera like Puccini’s La Boheme can be a tricky thing to manage. As famous as it is, many people will know its story through the musical Rent – and if they don’t know it this way, they’ve almost certainly heard the name.
It’s a ‘big’ opera, an important and familiar name that many would love to appear in or see. The story is deceptively soft, but clearly tragic, and is always accompanied by a few sniffles from the audience at the end if you’ve done your job right. So, it can be tricky.
This was not the case for English Touring Opera’s production on Tuesday. The first thing to shout about is ETO’s ever-present and clever use of minimal sets: a reflective wall for an icy window; a balcony which turns onto a puppet stage; an interesting lit-up column in place of the fire that Rodolfo and Marcello try to warm themselves by in the first act. ETO’s sets are always beautiful and delightful, and are half the joy of going to any of their productions. Besides the sets, the gentle way with which the entire cast guided La Boheme’s tragic story was a thing of beauty.
Rodolfo’s desperation first off to find out who Mimi is, then to woo her, and finally to try to cast her aside as he knows she is dying, could seem callous or cruel, but Luciano Botelho was a perfect fit. As for Mimi herself, played by Francesca Chiejina, her gentle misery and strong will were deftly wielded, and I found myself genuinely heartbroken during her quiet death scene.
The jealous Marcello (Michel de Souza) is finicky and his mood turns on a dime, but he was sympathetic in a way which is hard to achieve. He was matched by the role of Musetta, played by April Koyejo-Audiger, who was bombastic and scene-stealing in exactly the way she should be.
On the subject of scene stealing, the puppet show in Act II, handled by Robert Lewis, was amazing and wholly distracting in the best way, to the point where I only know what happened in the rest of the scene during its run due to how famous La Boheme is, and having a synopsis right in front of me. I’d love an entire show just of Pa Guignol, if anyone is taking notes.
The whole production was a desperate, aching crescendo to the foregone conclusion of the sick Mimi’s death, which was played out beautifully by all involved. The coming and going of the characters, unsure if they’re needed or if they even want to witness the death of their friend, was real and devastating. Most of all, the almost silent way Mimi eventually succumbs to her illness, unnoticed by her love Rodolfo as he can’t bear to look at her, was true to life in the way death can be: quiet and quick, and missed by the person most watching for it.
It might seem a cliche, but Rodolfo’s cries of Mimi’s name as he realises she is no longer with him will stay with me for a long time. They were beautiful and tragic, which is everything La Boheme is meant to be.
shock led to an accelerated digital shake-up, so too the energy shock can lead to an accelerated energy shake-up. There is high inflation with non-renewable oil and gas, and coal, which is even worse for the environment.
Renewables offer perfect energy security, so we need to invest in these and get it up and running. The new heat energy pump is a start. We can do more with solar power and solar panels.
Renewables can become mainstream and can power the city. The cynics are just wrong. Renewables are more economic and more reliable.
Bristol should invest in energy storage to unlock the widespread uptake of renewables. We can leave behind oil and gas and promote clean, green energy as we transition to a net zero economy. Maybe we need a Festival of Renewable Energy.
Clean, green power is coming soon and Bristol can lead on this for other cities! There are jobs and incomes in this.
Simon Wood Bristol