Quite the tonal shift from the Welsh National Opera as, after the dramatic intensity of Tosca, their second offering for this season is a reprise of their production of Bernstein’s Candide. Fast-paced and tongue-in-cheek, this feels like a decidedly more light-hearted evening at the opera, even though, when you take a closer look at the plot, you might be taken aback in realising exactly how dark it is. The dark humour, it has to be said, was a prominent feature already in Voltaire’s work, which this stage adaptation is inspired by more than based on: a feature, not a bug, a contemporary commentator might say. It would be foolish to try and write it out or even dampen it down: Bernstein did not try and neither, wisely, does this production. If some of the laughter the performance elicits is a little uncomfortable, then, all the better: Candide is by design an uncomfortable work, set in a deeply uncomfortable world. If anything, its decrying of the optimist philosophy exemplified by Doctor Pangloss (played here in gender-bent form by Rakie Ayola, who also serves as narrator throughout the story) feels cheeky here where in Voltaire it was scathing.
Ed Lyons and Rakie Ayola
Soraya Mafi
Soraya Mafi, Francesca Saracino, Jack Holton, Amy J Payne and Ed Lyon
There is a very specific tone the performers have to strike in order to make this work, somewhere in between heartfelt and deadpan, which is rather difficult to nail down and makes the lead roles especially very difficult to deliver. All performers acquit themselves well, capably treading the fine line which keeps them barely on the right side of too much. Ed Lyon is an excellent Candide, balancing hapless and self-deprecating with, towards the end especially, just a touch of disingenuous. Soprano Soraya Mafi puts the skills she has honed in more traditional roles (notably on this very same stage, when she shone as Gilda in Rigoletto) at the service of her lively take on Cunégonde, resulting in some of the best vocal sections of the evening. Amy J. Payne delivers a truly stand-out performance as the Old Woman: from the moment she first comes on stage, she consistently steals the scene, whether singing or acting. The many supporting roles, which appear and disappear at head-spinning speed, are also crucial to the success of the work. Francesca Saracino as Paquette and Jack Holton as Maximilian are the backbone of the broader cast, the latter especially never failing to draw a laugh from the audience whenever his self-absorbed character makes an appearance, but praise is also due to smaller parts it might be unwise to dismiss as mere caricature, like Aled Hall’s Governor and Alun Rhys-Jenkins’ Ragotsky. The dancers also proved themselves to be an essential piece of the puzzle, under the expert guidance of choreographer Ewan Jones: some of the most crowded scenes are also the most impactful, a perfect example being the chaotic auto da fe scene, which strikes a note in between religious hysteria and psychedelic funfair.
Most of all, the staging of this production is a delight. Faced with the challenge of a fast-paced story which, influenced no doubt by its composer’s Broadway connections as much as Voltaire’s writing, requires change of scenery after change of scenery as the characters traverse an increasingly demanding set of locations, the set design finds a solution that is as clever as it is effective, fashioning a whole world out of animated designs – the work of Grégoire Pont, whose style is perfect for the type of narrative being woven here – which allow the performers to gaze out of castle windows and climb up the Tour Eiffel, and travel by horse, ship, limousine, and even a zeppelin, with the sole aid of some stools and a pair of stairs. The mixture of animation and acting (almost Roger Rabbit-style) is whimsical and fun, a fantastic support for the fast pace the production keeps under the direction of James Bonas, and tonally perfect for the work itself, its rather specific outlandishness and its off-key brand of humour.
A riotous romp through a truly dismal world (which, as the characters continuously remind us, must be the best of all possible worlds). Bernstein’s operetta has a touch of Broadway and a flavour of baroque comedy to it, and this production manages to stay faithful to both. It is great fun to watch; and, perhaps most importantly, it leaves the impression that it must also be great fun to perform.
Main image: Amy J Payne, Soraya Mafi and Ed Lyon
Wales Millennium Centre until September 21 and touring including Venue Cymru, Llandudno, October 10
https://wno.org.uk/whats-on/candide#venues-and-tickets
Images: Craig Fuller
Also this season:
Lloyd Llywellyn-Jones reviews Candide