Don Pasquale: A Modern Opera

4 stars

Michieletto reworks Donizetti’s classic comedy, Don Pasquale (Dom Pa-Skwah-Lay), at the Royal Opera House. The opera buffa stays true to its origins with a largely untouched storyline but successfully brings its characters into 2019. The result is fabulous: think traditional opera singing, but the song is about discovering shady messages on your partner’s iPhone. Don Pasquale was an instant success when first performed in Paris in 1843 and judging by the copious laughter on opening night, this revamp has been met with equal enthusiasm.

Don Pasquale’s dramatic storyline is resonant of an episode of MTV’s Catfish with the aged and tyrannical Don Pasquale giddily marrying his dream bride, the beautiful convent girl Norina. Within seconds of the diamond ring slipping onto her finger Pasquale learns that what you see isn’t always what you get. Far from his smooth-sailing ‘happily ever after’, an artfully constructed tale unfolds – brimming with hilarious antics and scheming – all at the expense of poor Pasquale. As the characters grow more evil, the humour gains a darker, almost sadistic tone. Regardless, Don Pasquale is undeniably funny – I’ll guarantee you’ll laugh out loud.

Opera heavyweight Bryn Terfel offers a touching lead performance as Don Pasquale by bringing a delicate vulnerability to an otherwise despicable character. Olga Peretyatko dazzles as the bewitching Norina with glorious vocals and exceptional comedic delivery. One should note the show is entirely in Italian and that the subtitles (neck-breakingly displayed at the very top of the stage) are often incomplete or confusing. Despite this, the cast’s expressive performance and Evelino Pido’s superb conducting craft a captivating atmosphere to compensate for the occasional lack of understanding.

Paolo Fantin spares no expense when constructing his dynamic set: with a sports car wheeled on stage, hilarious use of a green screen and a house rotating on a platform. However, while Fantin’s ambition must be applauded, a lack of attention to transitions became disappointingly apparent. Crumpled paper airplanes thrown within the first five minutes of the performance sat strewn on the stage for the rest of the opera. Puppets needed for a later scene were callously placed at the front of the stage, waiting to be picked up. In addition, Fantin’s use of props swings from minimalist to overly detailed throughout the show. Certain mundane conversations were staged beautifully, while other pivotal fights took place in poorly defined spaces on the side of an old set. Overall, while admittedly remaining visually striking and achieving its desired comic effect, the stage was occasionally left feeling either cluttered or incomplete.

While far from a conventional student activity, Don Pasquale offers a fresh avenue to anyone interested in exploring a new format of entertainment. With modern staging and a dramatic storyline, the performance is a fantastic hybrid of traditional opera and modern performance.