La Cenerentola

Naughty Neon Nursery-Tales

La Cenerentola

by Gioachino Rossini, libretto by Jacopo Ferretti

Opera Kipling at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate until 6^th August

Review by Brent Muirhouse

The story of Cinderella is no stranger to anyone, yet in Rossini’s operatic version La Cenerentola, performed by Opera Kipling (in the wonderful setting Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate), it transforms into something even more enchanting.  A gloriously fun and very welcome fusion with 1980s pop culture weaves it further into a vibrant tapestry of references, resembling a much-loved, well-worn vinyl record from the ‘Now! That’s What I Call Music!’ series.  As every scene becomes a figurative dance-off between the familiar fairytale and the decade nostalgia that peppers the narrative with an incredibly pleasing attention to detail.   Cinderella in this rendition, directed by Guido Martin-Brandis, is an harmonious hybrid that enchants and engages, a fluorescent-hued love letter both to opera and a much-loved era.

In the words of Rick Astley, surprisingly referenced on one of the t-shirts modelled by Cinderella’s garishly dressed step-sisters – clad in the neon and legwarmers of the era – this rendition of La Cenerentola promises from the outset that it’s ‘’never gonna let you down’ – and a barnstorming opera delivers exactly that promise.

Whilst the staging is simple, the cast’s collectively impressive operatic vocals bedazzle it with glitz, befitting for both the prince’s ball that Cinderella attends and the era that brought us parachute pants and Culture Club.  Speaking of tapes, the recorded subtitles (the opera, as you might expect, is sung in Italian) cleverly integrate eighties lyrics, consistently creating humour to the story to complement the operatic moments, and giving the audience a stroll down memory lane.  A particular highlight of this tongue-in-cheek approach was the incorporation of the hieroglyphic symbol that represented the Artist Formerly Known As Prince into an otherwise normal sentence about Cinderella’s future betrothed.  Although there were moments when the subtitles disappeared seemingly unexpectedly, leaving the audience to test their Italian skills, the action on stage was so captivating that it more than kept all those present entranced. 

The calibre of the singing was more than worthy of the royalty in the cast.  A special mention must go to Karima El Demerdasch as Cinderella herself, whose central performance was compelling, and enabled both the opera’s storyline and the more comedic elements of the 1980s romp to work superbly. 

Grace Lovelace and Laura Curry as the stepsisters Tisbe and Clorinda steal moments with their snarky and full attitude turns; Thomas Litchev excels as Dandini, and Alexander Jones as the force of nature Don Magnifico delivers low, booming undertones with by far the most joyously comic role of the piece.  Note must be given to Robert Tilson as Don Ramiro, who persevered to walk his part despite suffering from losing his voice ahead of the show, a selfless move which enabled the performance to continue to flow seamlessly.

And, deserving of a standing ovation, was Giannis Giannopoulos, the musical director and pianist whose fingers never stopped hammering the ebonies, providing a musical foundation which propelled the narrative forward, a DeLorean crescendo accelerating through time.  The end result is that Rossini’s musical score is a symphony of excellence and often poignant beauty, and against this reimagined Cinderella, much like once upon a time a mixtape could capture the essence of the MTV generation, Giannopoulos’ performance certainly captures the essence of this opera.

This synergy between Rossini’s timeless composition and the playful details creates a means to be transported to a world where opera and 80s pop culture harmoniously waltz together. 

Opera Kipling’s Cinderella/La Cenerentola woos us with its glitter, attention to nostalgic minutiae, and a stunning score.  The programme notes tell us that Opera Kipling was formed by a group of singers with a shared love of opera whilst watching reality TV and socialising in the pub, and the performance feels like we’ve been warmly welcomed to join in their circle.

Indeed, this reviewer felt delightfully cosy watching the performance – despite forgetting to wear his own neon legwarmers – and this feeling stayed with me, along with a satiated smile, as I left the theatre to the comparably quiet and monochrome world outside, lit only by the streetlights of suburbia.

Brent Muirhouse, August 2023

Photography by Christal Vermaut