Mozart’s enduringly popular comic opera The Marriage of Figaro is based on the second of Pierre Beaumarchais' hugely successful Figaro plays, following on from The Barber of Seville, with the existing characters a little older and set in the Count’s residence outside Seville.

The Count and Countess of Alvino’s valet – Figaro, and maid – Susanna, are on the brink of getting married, and the Count is regretting recently renouncing his “droit de seigneur”, which had entitled him to spend the wedding night alone with each new bride in his employ. In fact he is infatuated with Susanna, leading him to take steps to delay their wedding and ensure their marital bedroom conveniently adjoins his own. Figaro, Susanna and the Countess plot to embarrass the Count, and comic mayhem ensues.

In the cosy North Wall theatre this youthful group gave us a totally unpretentious exhibition of what opera can offer. They were a complete contrast to the older, over corseted divas most of us picture as typical operatic soloists, and it really was a team production, with the musical director and marathon pianist Alex Beetschen taking on minor parts whilst continuing to play piano.

The new English libretto by Robin Norton-Hale was witty and intelligible and really contributed to the feeling that this was a farce with exceptionally good music. The new translation was colloquial, without being patronising, describing Cherubino as 'just a sex crazed lout', or in Figaro’s aria about the duplicity of women “ for women, all women will play you, remember that they have no shame”. Not exactly what I had expected to hear…

For me, the Countess’s (Louisa Tee) aria in the third act in which she declaims 'I adore him, I understand him. So I should have guessed the end' was a highlight. That said, teamwork was again evident, with none of the individual showcasing of talent that can sometimes detract from the plot. Being 'up close, and personal' in the intimate North Wall really helped us all relate emotionally to the characters. Above all, the show had a lightness of touch which made it great fun.

OperaUpClose has a mission to make opera more democratic and to show just what an exciting, theatrical and accessible art form it can be - mission definitely accomplished tonight!