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Does the world want a jukebox opera? Yllana’s The Opera Locos makes the case for it on the Peacock Theatre
“Fortunatissimo per verita”
Of all of the artwork types, one might argue that opera is the one which we’re most culturally conditioned to just accept a sure manner (in a grand opera home, a single tear artfully rolling down the cheek). Spanish theatre firm Yllana has a go at redressing that notion with The Opera Locos, cherry-picking a number of the extra well-known opera classics from any and each composer and transplanting them into a comic book narrative of their very own devising – a jukebox opera if you’ll.
There are moments that do work – sequences that pulls parallels between numerous arias and pop songs are impressed (who knew there was so little between Rossini and Mika?!) and while too many people are blessed with voices solely our moms might love, a singalong call-and-response part is enjoyable (although pity these within the entrance row…). Undoubtedly, there’s an actual democratisation of the shape right here, one thing emphasised by the playfulness of Tatiana de Sarabia’s brilliant costumes.
On the similar time although, the decide’n’combine strategy to the fabric leaves you marooned by way of any element. And not using a trace of which opera or composer and even what language, any appreciation past that within the second is left utterly as much as how a lot opera information you have got. The chance to teach right here in addition to entertain appears like one missed as in the end, the gathering of performances proceed one after the other moderately than accumulate into one thing greater than the sum of its components.
To make certain, there’s no questioning the efficiency stage – Mayca Teba’s wildly flirtatious Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen is a deal with and countertenor Michaël Koné’s ebullient persona shines by means of his each interplay. The selection to carry out as a dumbshow feels much less profitable, mime and nonsense-speak rapidly changing into wearying, particularly mixed with a bent to hammer every gag repeatedly as tales of putative romance play out between the five-strong forged (and an viewers member…).
So a present full of massive swings – some which supply moments of actual magnificence (Koné and Enrique Sánchez-Ramos placing a queer spin on Barcarolle from Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann) and a few which frustrate (María Rey-Joly’s tackle Mozart’s Queen of the Evening aria from The Magic Flute is given a comic book spin which, for me, undermined the immense vocal expertise it takes). For all that the light-hearted strategy works, The Opera Locos might afford to take itself a contact extra severely.
Working time: 1 hour 45 minutes (with interval)
The Opera Locos is reserving on the Peacock Theatre till eleventh Might
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