The opening of Scottish Opera's production of Donizetti's Don Pasquale sets the tone for what is to follow beautifully. A series of images are projected onto the curtain which hints broadly as to what we are going get - comedy, romance, and Italian stylings. We are also introduced to aging bachelor Don Pasquale (David Stout), who, with sad irony, loves his cats but finds he is allergic to them. His young nephew Ernesto (Filipe Manu), is in love (made clear in panels which are straight from a romantic magazine), but all is not well.
As the screen transforms seamlessly to stage, the scene is set, opening in the run-down, cat-infested, pensione which Don Pasquale runs with his elderly and eccentric staff, who are straight from central comedy casting. A chain-smoking maid (think Julie Walters' 'Mrs Overall' meets Nora Batty with a fag on), who clearly carries a flame for the Don, the somnambulant geriatric bell hop who shuffles to answer the door between snoozes, and the corpulent cook who looks as if he enjoys eating as much, if not more, than cooking. Much of the comedy comes from these three, and Frances Morrison-Allen, Jonathan Forbes Kennedy, and Steven Faughey are superb in their respective roles.
Young Ernesto is smitten with Norina (played by Simone Osborne on the night), a glamorous widow who we learn is scheming with the Don's doctor Malatesta (Josef Jeongmeen Ahn). The Don disapproves of his nephew's relationship and threatens he himself will marry to stop any inheritance going to Ernesto. What follows is classic farce which will be recognisable to those familiar with Rossini's The Barber of Seville and the tradition of 'opera buffo'. There is deception and deceit as Don Pasquale's vanity, lust, pride, greed - and all the other deadly sins - are exploited to teach him a somewhat extreme, if well-deserved, (and expensive) lesson.
Don Pasquale marries the doctor's 'sister' Sofronia, who is much younger than he, entranced in no small part by her feline manner, but he soon realises that there will be changes to his life he did not expect. When the curtain is raised on the third act the hotel is now called 'Pensione Sofronia' with a larger, younger, staff and modern furnishings replacing the antiques which went before.
This is one of the areas where Scottish Opera always excels. The sets are inventive and intricate, revealing numerous secrets and surprises throughout, and with costumes which are thoroughly stylish - think classic Fellini or 1950's Milan - the style of this opera matches the substance. This is particularly noticeable with the new staff of the pensione who include a hairdresser, makeup artist, dressmaker, and driver who are all immaculate in their dress.
Scottish Opera's Don Pasquale is simply joyous, with everyone on stage clearly having a ball, and this enthusiasm and energy translates straight to the audience. If you are looking for a thoroughly entertaining night out then this production is just the ticket. It's riotous, ridiculous, and at times laugh out loud funny, which, in my experience, is still fairly rare in opera. It will send you into the night with a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and more than one song in your heart.
Here are some images from the production - credit Jane Barlow
Don Pasquale will be at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow on 20th & 26th before going on tour to Edinburgh, Inverness, and Aberdeen. Click here for full details and to order tickets.
To further whet your appetite, here's the trailer:
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