First seen 18 years ago, David McVicar's Royal Opera staging of "The Marriage of Figaro" is back for its 11th revival. The show "still gets plenty of laughs", said Richard Morrison in The Times, which is "far from guaranteed" in modern productions of "Mozart's greatest comedy".
The "dense, swiftly moving plot is notoriously difficult to articulate", said George Hall in The Stage, yet McVicar's revival remains "marvellously lucid and sure-footed". Set in a château in 1830 on the eve of France's second revolution, Tanya McCallin's sets and costumes are a "triumph" and provide a "handsome visual context" for the show.
Julia Jones has been brought back to conduct with "exemplary results", making Mozart's score "zing along". A "true ensemble show" with "no weak links", there are several stand-outs: mezzo Ginger Costa-Jackson brings the "awkward, boy-obsessed" Cherubino to life and his two arias are among the high points of the evening.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It's a "lively" revival of Figaro, added Nicholas Kenyon in The Telegraph, and McVicar "fills Mozart's score with buzzing action". The artful sets slide "seamlessly" between acts, "atmospherically" lit by Paule Constable.
But while Jones brings "fierce energy and drive" to the production, she could "on occasion hold back more": "Dove Sono" was "propelled urgently forward" and felt "fractionally too fast", and at times the orchestra is "too prominent, sometimes obscuring the voices".
The orchestra was playing "louder than I have heard Mozart played in an opera house", agreed Richard Morrison in The Times. Thankfully Jones "turns down the volume" for the Countess and Susanna's "big numbers": both are "ravishing".
-
Is a social media ban for teens the answer?Talking Point Australia is leading the charge in banning social media for people under 16 — but there is lingering doubt as to the efficacy of such laws
-
Magazine crossword: 1499Puzzles The weekly crossword from The Week
-
Political cartoons for January 16Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include the Nobel Peace prize, the wrong island, and more
-
In Okinawa, experience the more tranquil side of JapanThe Week Recommends Find serenity on land and in the sea
-
The 8 best spy movies of all timethe week recommends Excellence in espionage didn’t begin — or end — with the Cold War
-
Scoundrels, spies and squires in January TVthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Industry,’ ‘Ponies’ and ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
-
One great cookbook: Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson’s ‘Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes’the week recommends The beauty and wonder of great ingredients and smart cooking
-
A modern ‘Lord of the Flies,’ a zombie sequel and Jodie Foster’s first French-speaking lead role in January moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘The Plague,’ ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ and ‘A Private Life’
-
How to rekindle a reading habitThe Week Recommends Fall in love with reading again, or start a brand new relationship with it
-
11 hotels opening in 2026 that will move you to reconnect with natureThe Week Recommends Find peace on the beaches of Mexico and on a remote Estonian island
-
January’s books feature a revisioned classic, a homeschooler’s memoir and a provocative thriller dramedyThe Week Recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Call Me Ishmaelle’ by Xiaolu Guo, ‘Homeschooled: A Memoir’ by Stefan Merrill Block, ‘Anatomy of an Alibi’ by Ashley Elston and ‘Half His Age’ by Jennette McCurdy
