A MARRIAGE OF WIT AND ARTISTRY...
Irish National Opera’s first new production, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro (HHHH), was one of the best presentations of the opera I have seen for some time. Apart from exceptional singing and acting, including a silken-voiced Tara Erraught as Susanna, a lot of the credit goes to Patrick Mason, whose vigorous direction recognised that this masterpiece of comic opera doesn’t need knockabout clowning to make it funny. I can’t help thinking however, that in an opera that’s already very long, the arias in the final act by Marcellina and Basilio, could have been dropped without losing anything. Jonathan Lemalu, was a subtly insubordinate Figaro, a splendid contrast with Ben McAteer’s lecherous Count Almaviva. The scene-stealer of the evening was Aoife Miskelly as the impish Cherubino, sung with exquisite artistry by Máire Flavin. Amy Ní Fhearraigh also gave a very polished performance in the lesser role of Barbarina. Ran until Apr 21.