The Barber of Seville
Cut-Back Styling
The Barber of Seville
by Gioachino Rossini, libretto by Cesare Sterbini after Pierre Beaumarchais
Opera Kipling at The Gatehouse Upstairs, Highgate until 9thAugust
The energetic and inventive Opera Kipling (OK) presents Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Il Barbiere Di Siviglia) in their trademark, re-imagined way. This opera is based on the first of the three plays by French playwright Pierre Beauchmarchais and, following the success of OK’s impressive Marriage of Figaro last year (which is based on the second part of Beaumarchais’ trilogy, albeit the opera is by Mozart), I had high hopes for this production. In the end it was a lovely, enjoyable production but didn’t quite meet the standard set previously.
A well-known and accessible comic opera, The Barber of Seville, follows Count Almaviva’s spirited attempts to win the heart of the young, beautiful and wealthy Rosina. With the scheming barber Figaro at his side, Almaviva works to outwit her controlling guardian, Dr Bartolo, who plans to marry her himself for her fortune.
OK have placed their version in the mod era of the 1960s, allowing for some colourful costumes and a cheeky burst of sixties song in the second act. It doesn’t add much to the story but allows for some funny moments and a bright colour palette that makes it all feel very jolly. The staging seems Italian even though the opera is set in Spain, and there is a hint of la dolce vita about proceedings. The use of props was deliberately sparse, save for an inflatable chair that became a recurring device for moments of exaggerated physical comedy.
It is also stripped back musically, with just a piano and a moment of guitar playing. Accomplished Musical Director Giannis Giannopoulos delivers a beautiful rendition of the score to accompany the five strong cast who throw themselves into the piece with gusto. Figaro is portrayed by the assured Alexander Jones, who delivers his resonant bass lines with real aplomb. Co-producer Laura Curry as Rosina brings plenty of enthusiasm to the role, though she unfortunately struggled to reach the higher notes in the first act.
Geoff Clapham as Don Basilio is unquestionably the standout of the production, delivering his role with rich, resonant bass-baritone warmth. He sustains every note with impressive control and brings a deft, genuinely comic touch to his performance. Rounding out the cast were Robert Tilson as a slightly bland Count Almaviva and Massimo Modoni as a comically grotesque Don Bartolo. Both deliver solid performances, though Modoni deserves particular recognition for tackling an impressive volume of quick-fire lyrics in one especially demanding section.
With some supporting characters removed, and judicious edits, this streamlined production runs for ninety minutes (plus interval). Even then I did find myself thinking that it could have been tightened further into a single act, although that thought may have been prompted by the sweltering heat in the Upstairs at the Gatehouse ‘black box’ theatre on a blistering Sunday afternoon.
Opera does have something of an image problem and is often branded as elitist. Opera Kipling, like the Grimeborn Festival, aims to create “small, affordable and above-all accessible productions for modern audiences”, and they have partly succeed in this — this production is fun and funny, the music is wonderful and there are some rousing duets. The ensemble pieces raised the roof of the small theatre, and there is so much talent on stage. But the audience seemed very seasoned and generally of the older generation rather than the younger crowd they want to attract. This is such a shame, because what OK deliver is indeed entertaining, imaginative and accessible opera, and the Barber of Seville is a solid addition to their repertoire.
Fi Mead-McNish, August 2026
Photography courtesy of OK
Mark Aspen 