Disappointing Bat
Garth Wilshere
Die Fledermaus, Wellington G&S Light Opera, Opera House, reviewed by Garth Wilshere
THIS year the Wellington G&S Light Opera tackled Viennese operetta in the popular Johan Strauss II work Die Fledermaus (The Bat). This is a difficult repertoire while featuring some good singers, it struggled to capture the necessary essence and style.
It was a mistake to set the opening, intimate salon scene on a big and relatively bare stage. On opening night vocal and orchestral balances were not good and few words could be discerned. Roselinde suitor Alfredo was a notable exception, and Jonathan Abernethy’s sweet tenor was a joy to listen to.
Roselinde was a role shared by Helen Lear and Lesley Graham each of whom I heard on different nights, both sang well.
The husband, Eisenstein, was played nicely, if a touch austerely by Chris Berentson. The maid Adele was floridly characterised by Malinda Di Leva.
Other roles were generally nicely taken.
The chorus sang with gusto, and were clearly enjoying themselves, but there was little evidence of any direction in what they did.
The spoken “comedy” role of the drunk jailer, Frosch, was milked to the hilt by John Goddard, which the audience loved.
I wanted to enjoy this and did on many counts as there was some good work done, but my enjoyment was seriously undermined by the problems with the production and lack of real cohesive elegance and style in the artistic direction.
THIS year the Wellington G&S Light Opera tackled Viennese operetta in the popular Johan Strauss II work Die Fledermaus (The Bat). This is a difficult repertoire while featuring some good singers, it struggled to capture the necessary essence and style.
It was a mistake to set the opening, intimate salon scene on a big and relatively bare stage. On opening night vocal and orchestral balances were not good and few words could be discerned. Roselinde suitor Alfredo was a notable exception, and Jonathan Abernethy’s sweet tenor was a joy to listen to.
Roselinde was a role shared by Helen Lear and Lesley Graham each of whom I heard on different nights, both sang well.
The husband, Eisenstein, was played nicely, if a touch austerely by Chris Berentson. The maid Adele was floridly characterised by Malinda Di Leva.
Other roles were generally nicely taken.
The chorus sang with gusto, and were clearly enjoying themselves, but there was little evidence of any direction in what they did.
The spoken “comedy” role of the drunk jailer, Frosch, was milked to the hilt by John Goddard, which the audience loved.
I wanted to enjoy this and did on many counts as there was some good work done, but my enjoyment was seriously undermined by the problems with the production and lack of real cohesive elegance and style in the artistic direction.
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