The Magic Flute
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Charles Court Opera
Wilton’s Music Hall
Star rating: 4
Photograph credit: Bill Knight
I had high hopes of this show and every one of them was fulfilled. This is Mozart as you’ve never seen it before. The Charles Court version is meticulously fresh, beautifully sung and very funny. Director John Savournin is himself an accomplished singer and actor so he knows exactly how to make this material work in a way which trusts the material but isn’t afraid of originality. The gloriously witty translation and Eaton’s musical direction from the keyboard ensures that the whole experience is a pleasure.
Matthew Kellet is outstanding as Papageno, played as a mercurial, down-to-earth man of the people who manages the leafy, jungly garden of Sarastro’s temple, including of course, the birds. Kellet hops about (often in rhythm) engages with the audience and gets our sympathy. He is master of comic physicality and his diction is the clearest I’ve ever heard in this role.
Martins Smaukstelis gives us an earnest Tamino, an explorer with satchel (we’re loosely in the early 20th century) having first been freed from netting by the three ladies – conflating him with the monster that they’re usually dealing with in the opening scene which is an ingenious idea. He too, like everyone else in this fine cast of nine, is a compelling singer.
Peter Lidbetter’s Sarastro packs all the gravitas you could wish for – a well articulated contrast to Kellet’s Papageno – singing all those very low bass notes with precision. Of course The Queen of the Night is a challenging role because her two big numbers are very well known indeed and the audience awaits them expectantly. Eleri Gwylym, looking terrifying with a scarlet band of makeup across her face, long grey hair and lots of lace, rises to that challenge, hits every high note with aplomb and exudes malice.
This is a revival production with new work from revival director, James Hurley and revival designer Lucy Fowler (original design by Simon Bejer) and it sits happily in the space at Wlitons with its central steps leading downstage. The ultra-violet lit puppet snakes are a bit of a show stopper.
As you’d expect from Charles Court this is a bijoux take on The Magic Flute running just two hours plus interval. Cast size means that there is doubling of some roles but it’s done adeptly and it makes for some very clear singing of ensemble numbers. Die-hard traditionalists might object to the cuts but it flows and the story telling is much clearer than usual. The plot is bonkers but this version makes it almost coherent.
Charles Court Opera is celebrating its 20th year in 2025. Here’s to the next twenty and I’m looking forward to Patience at Wilton’s in September already.
