THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

Swansea Opera at the Civic Theatre

24.02.11

Swansea City Opera undertake tours that would have terrified Carl Rosa.

Last week saw them bring their Barber of Seville to Stevenage, Yeovil and Pitlochry – and to the Civic in Chelmsford.

It's a vanilla production: nicely sung, with some clever comedy moments, lovely traditional costumes, and a striking set design [by Gary McCann] which recreates Spain with cartoon etchings.

Christine Sjolander was a fittingly flirtatious Rosina. I liked the way she played her own continuo on the on-stage spinet. Her words were crystal clear – this was a new English version – though her big arias lacked vocal fire, I felt. Arthur Swan was her Almaviva/Lindoro/Alonso; he had a strong voice, and relished all three roles, though his first romantic outpouring risked running out of steam before the end.

Simon Lobelson made a stylish Figaro, rushing around on his natty red heels, and there were assured character cameos from Paul Hudson as Basilio and Artistic Director Brendan Wheatley as Bartolo – his party trick was delivering a faultless patter song with a paintbrush clamped between his teeth.

Fraser Goulding was in the pit with a chamber ensemble – a good idea to leave the overture for the scene change in the middle of the first half. But this Barber, though easy on the eye and the ear, never really aspired to much more than a routine, respectful treatment of Rossini's best-loved opera.