La Boheme
La Boheme
Posted: 03 Mar 2010
LA BOHEME, Opera North, Newcastle Theatre Royal
Peter Relton’s revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s 1993 original `update’ staging of the famous Puccini opera is as bright as ever, with Opera North doing the pop-art concept full justice.
Set in 1950s Paris, the ambience of nightclub and denims may not be to the purists’ taste, but the transition is both persuasive and successful.
Parisian Anne Sophie Duprels as Mimi strikes the right notes of charm and vulnerability, and if Turkish tenor Bulent Bezduz at times needs a stronger voice to be heard above the orchestra, his powerful acting both stands alone and complements Duprels.
Sung in Italian, among a multi-national cast, Englishwoman Sarah Fox as Musetta delivers an unfettered and highly individualistic performance, while Pole Marcin Bronikowski (Marcello), Frenchman Frederic Bourreau (Colline) and Dutchman Quirijn de Lang (Schaunard) adequately portray the impoverished bohemians in the paint-spattered artist’s garret.
Opera North, also producing Ruddigore and Cosi Fan Tutte in a busy week at Newcastle, have long since become an institution in the opera calendar, and this Boheme maintains their high standards.
Anne Graham
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