Le Nozze di Figaro

There was a substantial queue at the door for tickets for this event, and the Sheldonian was well filled with an appreciative audience.

University productions always face the difficulty of a cast all much the same age, often far too young for the parts. The principals here were mainly current students or recent graduates, setting out on a singing career, offered the opportunity to sing roles which they will not otherwise attain in major companies without first serving years of apprenticeship in the chorus. It threw an interesting light on the piece: Figaro and Susanna as young lovers, and a Countess who could credibly swap places with Susanna. Yes, the Count and Countess do need to be older, more experienced - and more world-weary - for their parts, but here George Coltart gave a pretty convincing portrayal of a haughty aristocrat, and if Aileen Thomson perhaps did not quite manage the emotional depth of experience, she provided a fine rendition of Porgi Amor.

In a very fine cast, I was particularly impresssed with Robyn Allegra Parton as Susanna; a strong, clear, confident and expressive voice, real acting ability, and the "sweet faced" looks that the libretto mentions. Susanna often plays in the shadow of the prima donna role of the Countess, but here she held her own; I would be happy to see Ms Parton in this role in a professional company. A fine performance also from Christopher Borrett as Figaro.

Claire Eadington as Cherubino has the great advantage of looking exactly right for the role, and gave a convincing performance as a teenage boy, as well as singing her two set-piece arias well.

The staging was basic, though entirely adequate. It would have been forgivable if the production was also basic, but far from it; real effort had been made here to ensure the piece worked, and for the cast to act their roles and not just sing. It also seemed remarkably free from any of the 'gimmicks' that producers often find irresistible.

Perhaps lack of experience - or lack of rehearsal time - showed most in the orchestra, which was competent but could have done with a little more polish. They were also inclined to be a little too loud, which is a common issue even with conductors of much greater experience.

All involved deserve much credit for a thoroughly enjoyable and successful performance, and I wish them well in their future operatic careers.

Shui Long (Unverified), 15/11/09

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Entering the Sheldonian once again, I didn’t quite know what to expect from this evening’s performance. A bastion of academic excellence transformed into a theatre of delightful entertainment; an amateur production of one of Mozart’s most famous and popular compositions.

Pregnant with promise the performance began approximately twenty minutes after its advertised schedule. The cause of the delay was perchance due to the inordinate number of last minute fans queuing in the misty chill. It served only to heighten the sense of expectation.

The Marriage of Figaro is a story of love, betrayal, revenge, intrigue and misunderstanding, all set to a fine music score and within the environs of a light adult comedy. After a tortuously bewildering change of events through four acts, the denouement is the familiar triumph of virtue over vice.

Despite its title mentioning the character Figaro, the protagonist is in reality Susanna, the lady in waiting to the Countess. This evening it was la bella Robyn Allegra Parton who played the role of Susanna. She was, no doubt, the shining light in the evening’s performance for she sang with great control, powerful when necessary, and her acting was adorable. She lead the cast and storyline with aplomb. Her closest rival, if any, in the performance stakes was the Count who also sang an impressive baritone. The rest of the cast, including Figaro (Christopher Borrett) himself and the Countess (Aileen Thomson), were splendid. However it is the memory of Robyn Parton’s performance that will endure.

If one were to describe the essence of the performance and its exponents in one word it would be “youthful”. The orchestra was dominated by young ladies, the conductor appeared to be under thirty and the protagonists of the opera were either current students or recent graduates. An amalgamation of young talent engendered a rare freshness. In fact I must say I enjoyed this performance more than many by seasoned professionals. Count me in for the next one!

Samir Mody (Unverified), 11/11/09

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