Opera North returns to Leeds Grand with a bang, putting on the third opera in their winter series, The Magic Flute. Perfectly in tune (pardon the pun,) with their commitment to making opera more accessible this performance was a magical experience for both the opera newbies and fanatics alike. Directed by James Brining and of course with the dynamic score by Mozart, this production is set to be a triumph and entertain audiences for the remainder of its run, both in Leeds and beyond.
The Magic Flute tells the tale of Prince Tamino, who is gifted a magical flute by the three ladies after they save him from the attack of a monstrous serpent. He is accompanied by the loveable bird-catcher Papageno and his magic bells, and we follow their journey as they embark on their quest to rescue the Queen of Night’s daughter, Pamina. She is being held hostage by the presumed evil villain, Sarastro, and she is forced to observe Tamino facing trials to prove his worthiness for her hand in marriage. In this tale of bravery and adventure, all is not what it seems as we accompany characters throughout their mystical land watching on as true love is tried and tested.
This opera is a Singspiel a combination of both singing and acting – like a musical but with less jazz hands! Performed in English with accompanying subtitles, the narrative was easy to follow and rejects the typical notion that operas are difficult to understand.
Sadly an increasingly rare sighting in theatre nowadays, the accompaniment of the orchestra cemented the transformative effects of live music. Led by Patrick Lange and Emilia Hoving, the musicians captured the energy and complexity of Mozart’s original score, emphasising the dramatic flares which defined characters entrances and propelled the plot of this story. The commitment to the storytelling by all cast members involved was faultless and evidently all are incredibly talented using their powerful voices to project from the stalls all the way to the upper circle.
In this Alice and Wonderland like adaptation, characters appearing in the background of the opening scene later become key characters in the plot. This dream like quality muted the occasionally terrifying moments which did include the larger-than-life tentacles of the monster attacking the prince. Staging, set design and costuming worked together here to construct a believably enchanting land, which was the appropriate backdrop for the story.
The use of lights, especially on props such as the flute and the ladies’ weapons, added to the whimsical elements of this performance and perhaps with further rehearsal will be a flawless addition. The costumes, designed by Colin Richmond, were incredibly suited to characters, from the ostentatious gown worn by the Queen of the Night, to the uniformed and cohesive ‘boy scout’ look donned by the members of Sarastro’s community.
It would be an injustice to not highlight the performance of Emyr Wyn Jones as Papageno, who in my opinion was the standout performer of the whole evening. Not only was his vocal ability clearly suited to the requirements of his role, but his comedic routines brought a lightness to the performance, needed after many intense declarations of love or battle cries of revenge. His blend of both the classical and comedic styles was joyous, and he delivered an exceptionally hilarious performance as the bird-catcher. The entire audience was rooting for him to find a wife; it was smiles all around when this eventually became his reality at the closing of the opera.
The two lovers, Tamino (Trystan Llŷr Griffiths) and Pamina (Soraya Mafi) were sincere in their delivery and portrayed the anguish of the young lovers with such sincerity that the result of their musical performances was quite emotional.
Nazan Fikret as the Queen of the Night during her performance of the song of the same name made her performance seem effortless, she was able to achieve such clarity and power, even at the highest end of her scale.
Similarly, the Three Boys, performed by some of the younger members of this company, held their own amongst this group of trained professionals, each harmony blended seamlessly. On the theme of groups of three, the Ladies, although individually talented, when joined as a group were a force to be reckoned with; a fabulous representation of strong female leads, especially in contrast with .other moments within the plot. Justin Hopkins‘ portrayal of Sarastro was both sinister and commanding. I feel he is well suited to this role as the omnipotent spiritual leader.
This family friendly opera is a must see for any music or theatre lover and a great stepping stone and introduction to this classical genre. Opera North will be performing at Leeds Grand until the 29th of March before they continue on the road for the rest of their northern tour – make sure you catch this performance before then! There will also be performances of The Magic Flute Lite, for those who may prefer a more condensed version of this show.
Tickets: https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/the-magic-flute-2024/#book
12 – 22 February at Leeds Grand Theatre
Photography by Tristram Kenton from Opera North’s autumn season. NOTE: Some of the roles were played by different singers from those reviewed here.
Main image: Egor Zhuravskii as Prince Tamino with Claire Lees as Pamina.
