We round up the reviews for this revival of Joe Hill-Gibbins’s production, which continues to run until the 22nd February.
Broadway World: **** “Clever, innovative and with lots to love, this production was worth the wait.”
The Guardian: *** “Making his house debut, the conductor Ainārs Rubiķis keeps the orchestra sounding warm and fleet-footed, though there are moments when the music’s elastic stretches and doesn’t quite spring back into shape. The cast is led by David Ireland’s exasperated Figaro and Mary Bevan’s almost bullish Susanna, both stylishly sung.”
The Arts Desk: **** “Who’s in and who’s not – on the secret, the joke, the relationship, the family, the club? That’s the fulcrum of Joe Hill-Gibbins’ ingeniously simple Figaro for English National Opera.”
A Young (ish) Perspective: “The simplistic set supported this performance beautifully with a clean white room with four doors which the cast energetically ran in and out of emphasising the complex and tangled web of stories that were being told. Another motif used to demonstrate the interwoven nature of all of the storylines was the characters often being totally bunched up on one part of the stage often with hands and feet all over each other. This also added another complex layer to the darker undertones of the Count’s actions.”
All That Dazzles: *** “Art was never meant to be seen the same way by everyone it reaches, and while my own hesitations may seem numerous, it would take a colder heart than mine not to acknowledge the talent and the drive that led to a clear crowd-pleaser of a performance.”
The Telegraph: “The plainness of the set puts a huge weight on the cast, but a witty book and masterful movement ensure that the show is a sparky success.”
The i Paper: ** “Ainars Rubikis in the pit teases out all the mischief and beauty of the score. Go in with your eyes shut, and have a ball.”
London Unattached: *** “Under Hill-Gibbins’ direction, the set becomes one massive multi-purpose prop. Doors are used to disguise, deceive and punctuate musical blasts from the orchestra pit; they’re a fabulously creative way to visualise the relational mayhem of Beaumarchais’ twisting comic plot.”
The Stage: **** “Vivid, primary-coloured take on Mozart’s frothy favourite.”
Bachtrack: **** “This revival is dominated by Mary Bevan, who provides one of the best sung Susannas I have heard. Bevan gave us immaculate diction – what a treat in a house that has so often struggled with this – and instilled a sense of nuance to the text.”
British Theatre Guide: “The eighteenth century, like that sliding box, has been brought forward to an indeterminate time, a timeless time. But it’s Mozart’s music and vivacity that transcends time. I can barely sit still. The orchestra, under Ainārs Rubiķis, is at the service of the singers. Three hours plus fly by. A happy evening.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.eno.org/whats-on/the-marriage-of-figaro/