The Marriage of Figaro at London Coliseum

Heralded as one of the greatest and most popular operas, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro has been given a facelift and continues its run after being cut short five years ago during the 2020 lockdown.

Essentially a comedy of errors, the beloved piece is full to the brim with duplicity, mistaken identity, and deception. Tonight’s performance sees all the action take place on a makeshift white wall, with several doors through which the cast enter and exit. Director Joe Hill-Gibbins is “always trying to simplify and strip away rather than add”, which is exemplified in this production, perhaps not exactly to its merit. The focus was intended to be on the voices, the ensemble, and their relationship with their audience.

David Ireland plays the titular character Figaro, determined to marry Susanna (Mary Bevan). Both are servants to Count (Cody Quattlebaum) and Countess Almaviva (Nardus Williams). Figaro’s betrothed informs him the Count is propositioning her, which consequently brings Dr Bartolo (Neal Davies) and Marcellina (Rebecca Evans) to the fore, attempting to break up the union. The older woman possesses a contract, stating that if Figaro cannot repay his debt, he must take Marcellina as his bride. Cherubino (Hannah Hipp) is the flirtatious pageboy, head over heels for Countess Almaviva; her performance contributes to much of the comedy. Both Williams and Hipp are the highlights in this production, the former’s performance producing cheering whoops from the audience, which are usually reserved for the end.

The Marriage of Figaro is complicated even in its inception, having been based on the 1784 stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, with the Italian libretto written by Lorenzo De Ponte, and composed in 1786 by Mozart. Although updated for a modern audience by Jeremy Sams’s credible translation, the piece lacks in its ability to sustain interest. Conductor Ainārs Rubiķis makes his English National Opera debut, and the orchestra tonight also cannot be contested.

Within are endless cases of duplicity, deceit, lessons on fidelity set around class conflict, (taught in particular to the Count) royals versus commoners, sexual politics, vice and virtue and enduring gender wars. Unfortunately, the multiple plot-within-plots makes for a wearying watch – so perhaps it is the original story at fault here – eventually dulling the overall experience and making the humour, ultimately, without wit.

Selina Begum
Photos: Zoe Martin

The Marriage of Figaro is at London Coliseum from 5^th until 22^nd February 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for The Marriage of Figaro at London Coliseum here: