WHOLESALE reinterpretations of long-standing favourites are always an intriguing draw for music lovers, but when 16th century Europe is ‘supplemented’ with an elevator, exotic animals and a not-so-subtle micky take of Justeat.co.uk, then you know that Opera North is most probably lurking in the wings!
And, when said reinterpretation then goes on to include a photographer with Polaroid camera and a burnt-out MG surrounded by rows of tents for the homeless, then you begin to wonder whether Verdi’s Rigoletto has just moved its backdrop from Renaissance Italy to a present day estate!
Raven McMillon as Gilda. Photo: Richard H Smith
Needless to say director Femi Elufowoju Jr’s take on the composer’s tragic tale of corruption, love and revenge, was fascinating, engaging and had this ‘newbie’ gripped from start to finish, sparking joyous recognition as the misogynistic Duke of Mantua (Leonardo Sanchez) burst into song with the famous La donna e mobile: Women are Fickle.
Only the woman in question, Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda (Raven McMillon) wasn’t overly fickle in the same way that her father, also the Duke’s court jester, appeared to have been miraculously cured, no longer sporting the hunched back so strongly associated with more traditional interpretations!
This time, the director, a British-Nigerian theatre artist, made the protagonist’s ‘difference’, not so much a physical impairment as a mental one: Rigoletto (Blake Denson) is plagued by the paranoia of a Black man in a predominantly white world, meaning his mind is constantly working against him.
That, says Femi Elufowoju, makes Count Monterone’s (Sir Willard White) curse of his nemesis, Rigoletto, all the more poignant.
“I want(ed) this moment to resonate for the characters who, because of their ethnicity, (were) familiar with the ‘curse phenomenon,” said the director.
And with all the main parts sung by people of colour: Rigoletto, Gilda (Jasmine Habersham), Monterone, Marullo (Themba Mvula) and the Countess Ceprano (Molly Barker-Knowles) – the point was made completely.
Blake Denson as Rigoletto. Photo: Richard H Smith
Under the hugely competent baton of Patrick Lange, Opera North Music Director Designate, Blake Denson’s ON debut, was a domineering triumph: a man cum control freak happy to mock others but less able to deal with the cards when they are turned on him.
His was a commanding performance that easily filled the stage, at times purposely stark bordering on the bleak, with the occasional use of simple black cloths to centre focus on the protagonist by removing extractions to the eye.
At other times, vibrant colours and props – a huge static zebra – filled the stage, reflecting Elufowoju’s Nigerian roots.
Opera North is a worthy company, always keen to encourage new audiences with interesting and engaging interpretations.
They did so recently with The Sound of Music and, as a musical man, I appreciated the countless nuances of director, Nikolai Foster’s production.
This time Femi Elufowoju waved his magic wand and gently walked this critic through his first viewing of Rigoletto, with all the finesse of a master tutoring his subject for the first time.
The cast were faultless and the nasties in there, from assassin Sparafucile (Callum Thorpe), to the dubious Rigoletto or the over-sexed Duke, were worthy of any dark alley!
A great production.
* Runs at Leeds Grand Theare until Saturday, October 31.