La Traviata

Noteworthy Affairs

La Traviata  

by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco Maria Piave after Alexandre Dumas

Instant Opera at Normansfield Theatre, Teddington until 8^th October

Review by Celia Bard

Instant Opera can notch up another huge operatic success with its latest production, La Traviata.  I left the delightful Victorian Theatre, Normansfield, feeling quite uplifted, having just been transported into Verdi’s operatic world of glorious orchestral music, wonderful singing and tragic drama.

La Traviata tells the story of a doomed love affair between Violetta, a high class courtesan and the romantic, impetuous Alfredo Germond, who is besotted with her.

The character of Violetta is based on a real person called Maria Duplessis who rose from poverty to become one of the most glamorous figures in Paris.  She died from tuberculosis aged just twenty-three .  She is the inspiration of Alexandre Dumas’s novel, the La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias) later adapted by Dumas for the stage, and of course, the inspiration for Verdi’s opera.

Clearly, Lyn Keay, the scenery artist and Valeria Perboni, the stage director enjoyed a close collaboration when discussing the design of the sets.  This version of La Traviata takes place in 1960’s London.  Scene shifts are between a well-known Cabaret Club, a country cottage within a country estate, and a squalid basement flat in Westbourne Grove, places well-known to those living in the sixties for scandalous goings-on by the rich and powerful.  The Normansfield Theatre stage is not the easiest place to stage an opera of the magnitude required for Verdi’s opera, but the set designs were extremely successful. The audience really felt as if they were present in the scenes and witness to the major elements of an unfolding drama.  Particularly effective were the beautifully choreographed dance scenes performed by the cabaret dancers and later in Act Two, their acting-out of a bullfight  This action amused the audience and provided a bit of light relief from the emotionally charged scenes between Violetta, Alfredo and his father, George Germont. 

Camilla Jeppeson’s performance of Violetta held the audience spellbound.  She has a wonderful feeling for the stage, and an ability to move naturally.  Verdi makes huge demands on this character.  She must be an outstanding coloratura soprano in the first act, which then must contrast with a more inner, lyrical mood that takes over in the second act when she changes from a woman of the world to a loving young woman, able to make a noble sacrifice for the man she loves.  Her death scene is enthralling, leading up to the climax when suddenly feeling free of pain, she cries out that she is going to live, but then fall to the ground, dead.  This has religious connotations and Jeppeson is able to convey the complexities of the whole of this scene vocally and dramatically.  She is a superb singer and nothing seems to be beyond her vocal capabilities.

Likewise Oswaldo Iraheta is splendid as Alfredo.  He has a terrific voice and a strong stage presence.  One of his many outstanding moments is at Flora’s party, and his cruel, distressing condemnation of Violetta.  Acting-wise, it would be so easy to overdo this, but he doesn’t, which makes his accusations more telling.  The chemistry between Alfredo and Violetta is excellent: you really feel his anguish, pain and his guilt for having not given a thought as to how Violetta has been paying for their upkeep, whilst he has been enjoying himself on the golf course (Act 2, Scene 1)!

Another character who made a strong impression on me is Franco Kong who plays Georges Germont.  He is totally convincing in this role and has an extraordinary stage presence.  He is quietly dignified and has the most wonderful baritone voice, which he seems to be able to project without effort, it just flows from him.  He is also a very good actor and has some of the most moving moments in the opera e.g. the scene is which he tells Alfredo that he doesn’t recognise him: one could feel his pain when he is compelled to denounce his son for his callous behaviour.  As a character he is one who, to my mind of thinking, shows the most growth, moving from a position of self-righteousness to one of sincere contrition.

Eleanor Kemp who plays Flora is cheerful and lively, while Rose Rands is most effective as Violetta’s personal maid, Annina, caring and sympathetic.  It’s hard to imagine the uncaring Barone Prophol, played by Joshua Lane, being Violetta’s lover.  No wonder she dreams of romantic love!  Chris Swithinbank is the kindly Doctor Grenvil, and his sensitive portrayal is matched by his confident and tuneful bass-baritone voice.  The musical director-conductor, Lewis Gaston, leads the Instant Opera Orchestra and Choir with confidence and flare, is extremely sensitive in his support of the lead singers throughout their performances.

Slick scene changes are hard to manage at the Normansfield Theatre, but the delays between acts and scenes did not impede the production or spoil audience enjoyment, such was the quality of performance by both singers and orchestra.

Nicholas George, founder of Instant Opera and Artistic Director for this production, must be commended for his commitment to opera, and his determination to bring opera to as many people as possible.  His love for opera goes back to childhood.  Not only does the company put on Grand Opera Galas, it also offer School Workshop Days with narrated opera experience for children, as well as offering outreach experiences and work with diverse communities.  I, for one, am looking forward in anticipation to Instant Opera’s next Grand Opera Gala.

Celia Bard, October 2023

Photography by Jon Lo Photography