Sanjeev Bhaskar, Tamsin Greig and Samira Ahmed. Photo by Mark Douet.The well known story has been passed down the ages in one form or another through various cultures. Here, our heroine Cinderella (La Cenerentola in Rossini’s original) has a tough life clearing-up after her ungrateful and constantly-partying step-sisters Tisbe and Clorinda who fill their father Don Magnifico’s home with sundry hangers-on all of whom seem to have food and clothing delivered for their amusement. A visiting prince Don Ramiro and his valet Dandini, swap places before their arrival, to more easily distinguish the nice gals from the rotten eggs as they bid to find a fitting future consort. Meanwhile a mysterious male figure Alidoro commands magical influence and an army of mice to ensure things turn-out as they should.
The notoriously flamboyant vocal flourishes required to deliver this bel canto opera have long challenged performers, and the current cast gave mixed results on the night I attended. In her ENO debut, Canadian mezzo Deepa Johnny as Cinderella, most definitely delivered the goods with virtuoso coloratura embellishments throughout. Her prince, tenor Aaron Godfrey-Mayes impressed in the upper register but once atop the parapet, was lost to anyone sitting in the stalls. It is an acoustic peculiarity of the space which detrimentally impacts light lyric tenors more than most. As his faithful servant Dandini, baritone Charles Rice was initially all at sea, tripping over his words and lacking the fluidity to deliver Christopher Cowell’s overtly complicated and tricksy translation of Jacobo Ferretti’s original Italian libretto. In his determination to imbue cleverness and erudition, Cowell appears to have forgotten that singers need to cram-in all those prestissimo syllables whilst accompanied by an orchestra which will be in no mood to flag on pace! Thankfully Rice grabbed his chance for redemption in the second half with his magnificently delivered patter, which was well received by an appreciative audience.
Eschewing any forms of pumpkin, transportation comes courtesy of a modern passenger lift centre stage. Initially, it felt an oddly jarring and unromantic choice, but gradually earns its place allowing for a multitude of entrances and exits. In one instance the male chorus, who were on strong form and clad entirely in red-hued costumes depicting various regal personages down the ages, appeared en masse as the doors parted. Their costumes by Sussie Juhlin-Wallén provide patrons with an entertaining side game of name-that-historical-figure as they promenade back and forth. At other times they stand behind lit frames, observing and whispering commentaries on the various goings-on.
Clad in a lilac suit, David Ireland sings Alidoro the figure who has largely been usurped in modern tellings by a fairy godmother. And finally bass-baritone Simon Bailey as Don Magnifico is suitably conniving in trying to install one of his undeserving daughters — played by Grace Durham and Isabelle Peters — into a position of influence, at the expense of fairness and true love.
Finally, did I really hear:
I’m not a super-hero
I’m just a Don Ramiro
Directed with panache by Julia Burbach, CINDERELLA (LA CENERENTOLA) runs 2 hours and 50 mins with an interval and has its last performance at the London Coliseum on 14th October.
