A creative and intimate staging of this classic Donizetti opera dives into the tragic emotional world of two star-crossed lovers
Lucia di Lammermoor, composed by Gaetano Donizetti, ticks many of the quintessential opera boxes – dramatic melodies, star-crossed lovers, and a fatally tragic ending. For lovers of Romeo and Juliet, Donizetti’s adaptation of a 19th-century novel by Sir Walter Scott will hit all the right notes. However, this new, stripped-down production by Barefoot Opera offers a much more personal style of storytelling than a large-scale opera house. In the Arcola Theatre’s intimate space, the opera’s classic larger-than-life characters are brought to life with a very human, realistic touch.
The centre of this tale is the titular, ill-fated Lucia, whose secret romance with her brother’s sworn enemy is discovered, leading to a forced marriage and, eventually, madness and death. Soprano Beren Fidan delivered a captivating performance as Lucia; her bright, clear tone shone consistently throughout her range, and she deftly navigated Donizetti’s bubbly coloratura passages with precision and grace. Even when she wasn’t singing, she embodied a quiet intensity which filled the stage. Her passionate yet somewhat absent lover Edgardo was sung by Jack Dolan, who brought a buoyant youthful vigour to their initial courtship and a powerful emotional depth to Edgardo’s tender, heart-rending lament for his lost love Lucia after she has reached her tragic end. The main agent in Lucia’s torment is her protective yet controlling elder brother, Enrico, brought to life by Philip Smith with a commanding energy and a rich baritone. Enrico, realising that Lucia needs a politically advantageous match to secure their family’s safety, is willing to do whatever it takes to marry Lucia off to the respectable Arturo (played charismatically by Eamonn Walsh). As Lucia’s mother has just passed away, she is left grief-stricken and rudderless, a state which leads her into Edgardo’s arms for comfort, and later to the misguided chaplain Raimondo (sung by Alastair Sutherland) for advice on how to cope with her brother’s schemes.
Director Rosie Kat intended this production to delve into Lucia’s mental and emotional world, exploring how grief and the loss of a support system can drive an ordinary person to extremes. Kat’s innovative staging choices, blended with visually intriguing set design from Fenna de Jonge and moody lighting from Cara Hood, helped draw the audience into the psychological drama through an almost Hitchcockian aesthetic (and creative uses of LED lights to bring Lucia’s emotions into a tangible form). One of the most surprising aspects of this production was the almost-folky orchestration – some might not expect that a piano, double bass, saxophone, and accordion could bring an elaborate 19th-century score to life, but this small ensemble’s sound was warm, full, and charming. This ensemble, placed just behind the actors on the small stage, also wove in and out of the story itself, as Laurence Panter (musical director and pianist), Alistair Sutherland (accordion) and Lydia Kenny (saxophone) also stepped in as various characters throughout the opera (with Lucy Mulgan keeping the pace on the double bass).
If any fans of classic opera are looking for an entry point into more modern stagings, this is the perfect example of what a more minimal, intimate production can offer – bringing a stark, confronting reality to a tragic tale.