OPERA North’s latest visit to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal opened with a double bill of contrasting works, sharing the common theme of death.

Manuel de Falla’s La Vida Breve (Life is Brief), was set in a harshly lit sweatshop churning out wedding dresses, and featured Anne Sophie Duprels, who inhabited the role of the spurned Salud completely. Singing with passion throughout, her voice became a cauldron of despair when she learns of her betrayal at the hand of the feckless Paco.

Paco, who pledges his troth to Salud only to make off with rich woman, was played with swaggering machismo by Jesus Alvarez.

Director Christopher Alden pushes all boundaries, not always to universal approval.

A few eyebrows were raised in a scene where Paco gropes and sexually forces himself on Salud, who spurns his advances, leaving him pleasuring himself. Cannabis and cocaine add fuel to the madness. In an added subplot transvestite worker (Daniel Norman) becomes the butt of bullying and mockery.

The gritty production ends with Salud slashing herself with a pair of scissors, with copious amounts of fake blood adding gory effect.

Elizabeth Sikora was a solid grandmother, while Quirijn de Lang played a haunting flamenco singer.

Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi provided an antidote with some brilliant comic turns.

The play centres on the death bed of wealthy Buoso Donati (Tim Claydon), with his relatives jostling for a cut of his fortune.

Enter the eponymous Gianni Schicchi, played with scheming charm by Christopher Purves.

Tereza Gevorgyan, who stepped in at last moment to play Lauretta, sang her famous aria O mio babbino caro with a delicacy and grace.

The orchestra, under the baton of Jac van Steen, did the score full justice. The coupling struck just the right balance.

 

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro is staged tonight (Thursday, March 5) and on Saturday (March 7) and Verdi’s La Traviata tomorrow (Friday). Curtains rise at 7pm. Box office:  08448 11 21 21.