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Mozart’s The Magic Flute, is one of the most acclaimed and reinterpreted Opera’s in the repertoire. It tells the story of a prince named Tamino, who falls in love with the beautiful Pamina, who has been abducted by the priests of Sarastro. Tamino must rescue her, and, with the help of the bird catcher Papageno they begin their quest in search of Pamina. The young couple are reunited, however they must face a series of trials, initiated by Sarastro and his temple priests, that test their courage, love and faith.
As the overture ends, the red curtains of The Gaiety Theatre rise to reveal a magical enchanted forest. The opening scenes present the sheer grandeur in the staging of this production, and the visual delicacies that consist within the detail of Ciaran Bagnalls impressive set and lighting design. Directed by Caroline Staunton, this production reimagines Mozart’s idyllic fairytale through an Irish lens of Irish mythology, literature and local history and the profound truths that are intertwined within both human contexts. Staunton delivers a lively and energetic production that never lulls and constantly entertains.
Whilst Opera may still be conceived as somewhat elitist and out of touch, this production from the Irish National Opera, in conjunction with the Arts Council, provides an outlet for high-quality opera at affordable prices. The music of Mozart is brought to life by The Irish Chamber Orchestra, skillfully led by Peter Whelan who guides the cast of exceptional singers through the libretto fairytale. The cast, made up of both Irish and international singers, revelled in the technical and dramatic roles. Anna Devin delivered an exceptional and heart-breaking performance as Pamina, Gavin Ring as Papageno provided the slapstick humour with precise comical timing, and Nick Pritchard conveys an extremely fluid and impressive performance as Tamino. The whole cast deserve honourable mentions for both the difficult technicality of the singing and the intuitiveness and of the acting, which on both fronts were flawlessly delivered throughout. The arias are beautifully composed and performed, while the vocal harmonies are perfectly constructed. The balance between the solid vocal work and impressive acting is what is most affecting about this production. Both are so consistently produced and sustained throughout the production from an exceptional cast, led by an excellent production team.
There is extraordinary range in the technicality and production of a show such as this, which is delivered in every sense, creating such a captivating and stunning theatrical experience.
