As Swansea basked in sweltering sunshine, the snow was falling inside the Grand Theatre as Ellen Kent’s touring production of La Bohème returned to town.
The most festive of tragic operas, with its wintry tale of love, loss and bohemian revelry, was brought to life by the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv, offering a strong if conventional performance — reliable, familiar, with no surprises, good or bad.
Visually, the production was vibrant and evocative, capturing the cluttered atmosphere of a bohemian garret, followed by the bustling party scene, brimming with energy and flooded with extras. Following the interval, the snow fell gently on the cold streets of Paris, as the joie de vivre of the opening acts gave way to the darker second half.
Like a well-oiled machine, the show was delivered with professionalism, reflecting the performers’ impressive stamina, with the cast likely taking on more performances of the same opera in a month than many singers would in a year. That said, the singing occasionally struggled to rise above the orchestra, who played with consistent energy. A notable highlight was French soprano Olga Perrier, whose Musetta dazzled as a glamorous blonde bombshell.
In the end, this La Bohème is everything you might expect from a production that, presumably, isn’t a million miles from what Puccini first envisioned in the late nineteenth century. For me, that’s the charm of these productions — sometimes, you simply want to sit back and let a traditional version of a classic wash over you without any shocks or reinterpretations, and this La bohème delivers exactly that
I thought it was an excellent production ,what wrong with a traditional presentation in fact it was very good and very enjoyable throughout . I have seen this Opera at the old Sadlers Wells, the END and WHO and this was the best I have seen.