A small riot & sharp stilettos at Buxton Opera House.
Red Stilettos at Buxton Opera House. Image created for Enchanted England by Adobe Firefly.
Handel’s Amadigi di Gaula
By Golly it was hot last week in Buxton but how glorious the town looked when my husband and I visited. We picnicked in the park, were enchanted by tea-rooms, well dressings and crescents. At the top of the town a travelling circus was in full swing. Are we too old now to take a ride. Reader, we think we are. Still we were booked into a talk about Handel’s ‘magic opera’. A tale of crossed love, a cross witch and a happy ending. We were a little early and happily found some shade in which to wait. Sadly the doors failed to open and a large crowd of mainly frail elderly grew miserable and restive in the heat. Finally a larger than life figure appeared before us and shouted the news that as this was the first night, the large scenery was proving problematic. We could not be allowed into the theatre for the talk as it would be ‘very dangerous’. The man started to say (I think) we could sit on the steps for the lecture. Another man in the crowd with military air shouted loudly, ‘they were not happy, this was not good enough etc etc. At which the first character hissed, I will not be spoken to like that and flounced out. The silver haired mob stormed the box office demanding their ticket money back and raging.
Oh whispered a woman in the crowd - a riot - in Buxton. As though aliens had landed. We beat a retreat to a civilised tea room and ate cake until the actual opera would start.
When it did - what a treat. We were plunged into a Love Island scenario complete with illuminated hearts - a giant sized Pink Flamingo (very dangerous indeed). Melissa the witch (Hilary Cronin) was a triumph. Her comedic blend of Cilla Black’s blind date hostess and eponymous Love Island interviewers menaced love interest Oriana (Rowan Pierce) with the malice of socials. Seemingly slight but actually deadly.
Meanwhile blonde bombshell Oriana strutted her stuff - she appeared clad in a Marilyn Monroe red dress and vertiginous red heels. What a vamp - sadly husband still in love. I mused on the fate of modern opera singers. They no longer stand and sing - no they must dance, fight, jump on furniture and still spin glorious music out of thin air in six inch heels. All the tortures that Melissa has in store are as nothing compared to this. Fortunately Oriana took them off within ten minutes but the shoes took on a life of their own. There were hints of the fairy stories - The Red Shoes and Cinderella - as they were passed to the lovers or popped up in wardrobes at high points in the story telling. When she reclaimed her shoes at the end her triumph was complete. Meanwhile Melissa slunk away clutching dull brown brogues to her chest.
Olivia Fuchs’ direction is a dazzling display of wit and satire. The singers (counter tenor & soprano) were marvellous and joyously accompanied by traditional instruments, oboe, harpsichord, viola da gamba, violine, theorbo, small pipe organ, recorders and sackbuts, A guitar made an unexpected entry for one of the love songs.
If you are nervous about opera, this fun filled, up-to-date version is just the one for you.
Continues until Mon 20 Jul, 7:15pm
Footnote - to prove that while everything changes everything remains the same - the opening night in 1717 had similar issues.
The "coup de théâtre" was the use of a real fountain spraying real water. The scene employed a large number of stage engineers and plumbers, such that the following newspaper announcement appeared on the day of the premiere: "whereas there is a great many Scenes and Machines to be mov'd in this Opera, which cannot be done if persons should stand upon the Stage (where they could not be without Danger), it is therefore hop'd no Body, even the Subscribers, will take ill that they must be deny'd Entrance on the Stage”
thanks to Wikipeadia for this