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Opera Review

Ever heard of members of the audience fainting, overwhelmed by the power of an opera? Well look no further than OperaUpClose. Since the sudden closure of The Cock Tavern Theatre last week, where Opera UpClose was founded in October 2009; The King's Head Theatre has taken up the torch, to bring opera to the masses. Welcome to London's Little Opera House. Here you can watch a variety of classic operas, from Puccini to Rossini over the course of a single week, all in the back room of a pub!

Monteverdi's passionate tale of adultery and excess gets a modern reworking in Mark Ravenhill's directorial debut of one of the earliest operas ever written. Nero, (Jesssica Walker) the Emperor of Rome is captivated by his latest mistress, Poppea (Zoe Bonner) and will stop at nothing to crown her queen. Bored of his marriage to Ottavia (Rebecca Caine) and irritated with his advisor, Seneca's (Martin Nelson) remonstrations, he is urged on by Poppea to order the noble, Seneca to kill himself, which he stoically obliges. Ottavia however is not so submissive and she enlists the help of Ottone, (David Sheppard) an ex-lover of Poppea, to kill her while she sleeps. Ottone disguises himself as his unrequited lover, Drusilla (Jassy Husk) for the murderous act, but is unable to commit the deed. Thus Nero banishes Ottone and Drusilla and divorces Ottavia, who warns of a future of abuse for the newly crowned Poppea.

In this contemporary version, Monteverdi's score has been adapted to suit a jazz trio, led by Alex Silverman, who accompany Ravenhill's modern libretto with sultry flair. The combination of piano, double bass and soprano saxophone holds a hypnotic power over the audience, subtly enhancing the voices of the actors and adapting in melody to create an atmosphere appropriate for each character. Silverman's light piano trills marry with the dizzy nature of Bonner's Poppea as her sonorous voice flits around the room, like a bird let out of its cage. The deep, wooden sound emanating from Jonny Gee's Double Bass enriches the gravitas of Nelson's Seneca perfectly. 

Ravenhill's adaptation is entertainingly modern. He finds parallels to the debauched excesses of ancient Rome in a contemporary setting with great success.  Poppea 's pink, opaque nightie and fuchsia miniskirts place her firmly within the modern day stereotype of an  Essex girl, who uses her looks to manipulate a rich man. Walker's bolshy Nero in a suitably purple shirt, (the imperial dye during Roman times) and black trousers could easily be mistaken for a cocky broker. Monteverdi wrote the part of Nero for a male Castrato, so Walker's androgyny is rather appropriate for the role, also reflecting the transgender era we inhabit. Nelson as deep browed Seneca in white robes is supremely dignified, emanating a towering presence in the tiny confines of the black box theatre. His suicide is heartbreakingly moving as his deep bass unites with the sombre score, he strips down and cuts his wrists as the pool of water incarnadines.  

Bellman's set is a masterpiece of minimalist, thrust staging. Simply constituted of a white carpet, chez lounge, mirror and small pool, each one of the props is used to maximum effect. The mirror in particular is a stroke of genius that allows the actors expressions to be seen when they have their backs to a side of the audience; a particular problem in thrust staging which Ravenhill resolves with elegant simplicity. The small pool also adds an invigorating touch to the action, especially in the second half, when, filled with the blood of Seneca it becomes a symbolic, splashing ground for Ottone's murderous impotence.

It must be incredibly difficult to transfer the grandness of opera into such an intimate setting as this and retain the qualities of melodrama which allow for such a cathartic experience. The huge displays of emotion and incredible power of these actor's voices never feels excessive, rather, in this tiny theatre the actors are able to express a vivid truthfulness in their performances. Ravenhill's The Coronation of Poppea is a reminder of the potency of opera and its overpowering effects through the fusion of language, music and drama. Yet best of all, it's as cheap as chips but as rich as caviar.