A playful staging of Handel’s whimsical opera, in which true love is tested by powerful sorcery
In 1735, George Frideric Handel adapted a fanciful story from Ariosto’s Italian Renaissance epic, Orlando Furioso; the resulting opera, Alcina, is staged here by the Guildhall School in a playful and earnest exploration of a battle between true love and powerful enchantments.
The opera opens with a striking lighting shift revealing several performers in animal masks behind a scrim, with one unmasked individual in the centre; within moments, he is ‘magically’ transformed into a lion. This is Astolfo (Harun Tekin), a former lover of Alcina, the powerful sorceress. Like Circe in Homer’s Odyssey, Alcina rules over an island and casts enchantments to ensnare her lovers; when she tires of them, she turns them into animals and objects. Director John Ramster, designer Louis Carver, and lighting designer Andy Purves have crafted a visually impactful world of magic and transfiguration.
As the lights rise on a crisp contemporary set, we meet our heroine, Bradamante, who has come to rescue her lover Ruggiero from Alcina’s clutches while disguised as her brother, ‘Ricciardo’; Bradamante is accompanied by the tutor Melisso. Mezzo-soprano Julia Merino as Bradamante, in armour and a fake moustache, is instantly captivating, with an engaging stage presence. Alaric Green as Melisso brings skilful comic timing and a resonant baritone voice to the stage. As Bradamante and Melisso encounter Morgana, Alcina’s sister, who is enraptured by the moustachioed Bradamante, all three performers exercise their comedic talents in a charmingly misguided scene of seduction reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Soprano Yolisa Ngwexana’s Morgana, while often played as a villain, is impossible to dislike; she has a graceful and expressive style which recalls the silent film stars of the 1920’s. This impression is heightened by several old-Hollywood-style costumes later in the opera, including a shape-shifting gown in which she delivers an effortless and joyful performance of the famous aria ‘Tornami a vagheggiar.’
When Bradamante and Melisso arrive at Alcina’s court, they meet the sorceress herself, played by soprano Georgie Malcolm. Here we see the stage transformed by projections into a lavish 70’s-inspired party; these projections are the perfect medium to represent Alcina’s illusions, as they can come and go as her powers wax and wane. Malcolm brings a strong command of dynamics to add intrigue to Alcina’s arias, as well as pure, ringing high notes. Here we also meet Ruggiero, alongside Oberto, Astolfo’s young son who has come to find his father, and Oronte, Morgana’s lover whom she spurns for ‘Ricciardo.’ Mezzo-soprano Shana Moron-Caravel as Ruggiero has a winsome presence, and brings a real pathos to the character in later acts after a comic beginning. Soprano Samantha Hargreaves is endearing as schoolboy Oberto and inhabits the role with physical and vocal ease. The cast is rounded out by tenor Emyr Lloyd Jones as Oronte, whose comic physicality was paired with clear high notes. (NB: Jonah Halton will sing Oronte on June 5th and 10th).
The cast blends beautifully in the few moments in which we hear them as an ensemble. Handel’s vocals and instrumentation often echo and repeat each other’s melodies, and in these ensemble scenes, movement director William Byram explores themes of influence and enchantment as the characters ‘echo’ both the music and each other.
The opera’s later acts dive deeper into the struggle between Bradamante’s love for Ruggiero and Alcina’s control of the island, and some of the arias are accompanied by videos on multiple screens. These graphics explore themes such as illusion and decay, but can at times distract from the energetic and creative performances on stage.
Nevertheless, there is much to like about this production, and the cast’s spirited sincerity will have viewers chuckling along with the characters’ antics and rooting powerfully for the star-crossed Bradamante and Ruggiero throughout this whimsical adventure.
Alcina is playing at the Guildhall School’s Milton Court Theatre, with upcoming performances on the 5th, 7th, and 10th of June at 7:00 PM. Performances are sung in Italian with English surtitles.