AT one point in Richard Strauss’ comic masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier, the glamorous Marschallin tells her 17-year-old lover, Count Octavian, that time slips by so quickly she often gets up at night to stop all the clocks.

For an audience at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal, time itself seems to stand still in Opera North’s slickly-paced revival of David McVicar’s production, by Elaine Tyler-Hall.

Ylva Kihlberg plays a radiant Marschallin, who we first meet in bed with Count Octavian, depicted in turn with spirited elan by mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman.

Henry Waddington is suitably boorish in the role of the money-grubbing and groping Baron Ochs of Lerchenau. He turns his attentions with comic effect on the hapless Octavian - passing himself off as a chambermaid.

The second act opens with the spotlight falling on bride Sophie von Faninal (Flurr Wyn) as Octavian enters in gleaming silver armour and singing in likewise burnished tones. It’s love at first sight and their voices blend sensuously in the duo.

As Ochs paws at his Sophie, his bodyguards chase the court’s woman in Benny Hill-style around the stage. When an incensed Octavian pricks Och with his sword, Waddington’s histrionics are quite hilarious.

The denouement sees the dastardly Ochs unmasked for what he is and driven from court. The final act ends in a superlative trio.

Strong supporting roles include Mark Burghagen as the Baron’s illegitimate son, Jung Soo Yun as the Italian Tenor and Durassie Kiangangu as Marchallin’s servant, who ends proceedings with a fine flourish when he retrieves Sophie’s handkerchief.

Strauss' opulent score is done full justice from pit under baton of Aleksandar Markovic, driving the pantomime antics on on with immaculate timing.

Repeated at 6.30pm on Saturday.

Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd is staged at 7pm this evening (Thursday), while a double-bill of Puccini Il tabarro and Suor Angelica will be staged at 7pm tomorrow (Friday). 

Box office: 08448 11 2121.

Gavin Engelbrecht