La Bohème

Snow Match

La Bohème

by Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Sembla and Opera International for Ellen Kent Productions with the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre Kyiv at Richmond Theatre until 25^th March, then on tour until 14^th May

Review by Eleanor Lewis

Ladies! Looking for a man? Try hanging about outside his attic room at night, claiming your candle has gone out. Guaranteed results and far less time-consuming than dating apps. Not that dating apps were an option in 1830s Paris where poverty and extremely limited options occupied the daily lives of very many people, but that is where we find the familiar characters of Puccini’s La Bohème in Senbla and Opera International’s production of that work at Richmond this week.

The story of La Bohème is well known. A happy quartet of friends and artists, Rodolfo a poet, Colline a philosopher, Marcello a painter and Schaunard a musician, live from day to day personifying the concept of ‘poor but happy’, until the sweet, beautiful but ultimately consumptive Mimi encounters Rodolfo during her search for some means of lighting a candle, and Love with a capital ‘L’ ensues, together with much merriment and gentle bohemian anarchy in the heart of Paris (which, in an appropriately ‘pourquoi pas?’ spirit, seems to have acquired an early Eiffel Tower).

This touring production features some glorious voices, though the rich bass of Valeriu Cojocaru (Colline) was occasionally a little overwhelmed by the strength of the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. The orchestra itself, under the baton of Vasyl Vasylenko, was such a treat in these days of constrained budgets for live music in theatres, and being placed close to the front of the stalls as reviewers tend to be, it was a pleasure to watch the orchestra’s flawless percussionist working as precisely as he did and to great effect.

Elena Dee’s soprano voice soared throughout lending both joy and pathos to Mimi’s short love story. Viktoria Melnyk (Musetta), perhaps the strongest actor of the principal players, brought a layer of authenticity to her on-off relationship with Marcello (a suitably flustered and enamoured Iurie Gisca) and the bonds between these friends, and also presented an air of joie de vivre, particularly in the Café Momus scene. The Act 2 café scene itself was a riot of colour and activity with a set of supporting actors doing a great job of creating atmosphere. The scene also featured a (Crufts award-winning) very cheerful if somewhat confused dog, Miep, adding to the general vibe of happy chaos.

Time has moved on in Act 3, the mood is calmed and the two couples, having been separated by jealously, reconcile and reunite, the four voices rising and falling to the accompaniment of gentle falling snow which is a great mood-enhancer on stage, as well as a means of reminding us all that times are still hard and it is still a cold, dark winter.

La Bohème is famously the story of doomed love and grinding poverty, but there is great warmth and considerable potential for comedy along the way and to this end the direction could have been a little stronger as the humour was somewhat underplayed. Had the dancing and general larking about in the final scene before Mimi’s death perhaps been more closely planned and choreographed, the laughter it garnered might have given rise to a more striking contrast to the coming tragedy. The characters are firm friends who live life to the full together, willingly share their meagre rations and close ranks around each other when one of them suffers. Joy and tragedy being close neighbours is a primary feature of this work and Act 4 would seem designed to demonstrate that, alongside the wisdom of seizing the day.

This production of La Bohème is, nonetheless, joyful and entertaining. It was playing to a nearly full house on Tuesday evening, a testament to the enduring affection audiences have for it, it is well worth seeing.

Eleanor Lewis, March 2025

Photography courtesy of Ellen Kent Opera