Glyndebourne - Rigoletto

Last night's Glyndebourne production of what is widely considered to be Guiseppe Verdi's finest opera hit some of the Theatre Royal audience in Norwich last night a bit like the storm that strikes in Act 3 – they knew that it was coming, grabbed onto that which was familiar and well loved, and only after the final curtain came down did they fully appreciate what had just passed.
 
It was certainly a bold entrance to the Glyndebourne repertoire for this dark and tragic tale of curses and licentiousness. Director Christiane Lutz puts a brave new spin on Victor Hugo's original story of jesters, kings and mistresses, and comes up with an image of Charlie Chaplin set amongst the movie moguls and studios of 1930's Hollywood, recreating the toxic power and lack of accountability that existed in the world of movies pre #metoo. (For an alleged insight into this world watch Peter Bogdanovich's 2001 movie 'The Cat's Meow')
 
As a result we begin with a black and white film re-enactment of Chaplin being interviewed in 1954. 'I don't even want to go back, I just want to keep going forwards', says Chaplin, upon which a grey haired actor lies down on the stage with a pen, rotating himself slowly, and repeatedly writing the word 'forwards', which is projected in ever decreasing circles onto the screen above.
 
The three acts of the opera are performed against the backdrop of a huge studio lot, with scenery being moved around to create settings for the action – a film set, an on-stage suicide, an incestuous seduction from a 'chauffeur' arriving outside Rigoletto's house in a real motor car, an arranged assassination deal, and a bodged contract killing in a taverna.
 
The observant and attentive will have spotted the timeline clues projected high alongside the English libretto translation. Miss these and the narrative could have seemed somewhat confusing, even though vocal performances from Nikoloz Lagvilava (as the jester Rigletto), Vuvu Mpofu (as Gilda) and Matteo Lippi (as the lascivious film director 'il Duca') are impeccable and provide a solid anchor upon which to hang. Listening to comments during the interval suggested that some of the audience were worrying that might have, indeed, lost the plot.
 
But, as in any good drama, it is when the performance reaches its climax that the scudos begin to drop, the holes in the plotlines become plugged, and we are all back on board by the time the good ship Rigoletto sails into port. We understand who the winged angel was who spectacularly fell from the balcony in Act I (performed by aerialist Farrell Cox), we fully come to terms with the true parentage of  Gilda, and we appreciate that the shadowy figure wearing the half-plain, half brick-weave suit was the assassin Sarafucile (Oleg Budaratskiy elegantly executing his bungled actions in Act III). The identity of the brown-suited gentleman who wanders into various scenes as a seemingly casual observer (played by actor Jofre Caraben van der Meer) turns out to be... (No, sorry. You will just have to go and see the performance and work that one out for yourselves).
 
After the sunshine and warmth of the previous night's 'L'elisir d'amore' the Glyndebourne Tour could not have provided more by way of contrast. The sheer physical and logistical task of breaking down the stage sets and loading in fresh scenery for tonight's performance (set design by Christian Tabakoff) is worthy of recognition – and they required to replace it all again in preparation for Thursday's midweek matinée, then bring in a fresh set for Rinaldo on Friday, and then back to Rigoletto again in time for Saturday.
 
By the time tonight's audience were ushered away to their carriages the general consensus seemed to be that everything made sense by the time the finale arrived, but that it had, in places, been a bumpy and challenging ride. But if this well-loved and familiar opera can stimulate and fascinate in a fresh and thought-provoking way, then Lutz and Glyndebourne have achieved, and deserve due praise and credit.