Having premiered at the Lammermuir Festival earlier this year, Daisy Evans’s new production of Britten’s Albert Herring is a gently funny and sweetly nostalgic telling of what’s essentially a coming of age comedy. In fact, the 80s costumes and the characters’ cute quirks wouldn't have felt out of place in a John Hughes movie – if Hughes set films in Suffolk.
The opera, based on the short story Le Rosier de Madame Husson by Guy de Maupassant, takes place in the quaint village of Loxford, and opens with the town’s well-to-do discussing which young lady should be the year’s May Queen. None is virtuous enough, according to the village battleaxe, Lady Billows, staunchly portrayed by Susan Bullock with her strong, rich soprano. Florence, her housekeeper, sung splendidly by American mezzo Jane Monari, agrees. The "maidens" have all been seen with ankles exposed, walking with a gentleman unchaperoned, out after dark or various other equally immoral misdemeanours. There’s only one thing for it. This year there will have to be a May King, and the only boy that’s up to the job is the slightly hapless Albert Herring, who helps his widowed mum out in the local Greengrocers.
Young Scottish tenor Glen Cunningham (pictured above) absolutely excelled in this role. Vocally brilliant, he sang with a crisp, clear tone, but it’s his expression and dappy mannerisms, perfectly timed with Eric Crozier’s witty libretto, that really made me fall in love with the character. It is, on the whole, a somewhat youthful cast, with all four of Scottish Opera’s emerging artists on stage. Mezzo-soprano Chloe Harris and baritone Ross Cummings shone as the frivolous young couple Sid and Nancy who spike poor Albert’s drink at the party. American soprano Kira Kaplan gave a spirited performance as the eager schoolmistress, and bass baritone Edward Jowle was clear and commanding as the ever self-important Superintendant Budd.
The solo and ensemble work amongst the whole cast was excellent both in terms of singing and acting. You can tell they know the piece intricately by now, but it only added to its buoyancy instead of feeling over-rehearsed.
The 14 piece ensemble sparkled from the pit, under the baton of conductor William Cole, who, in his company debut, teased out every emotion and nuance from the score giving an aural effect which belied the small size of the band. Ruari Donaldson’s percussion playing was particularly effective in the third act’s more sombre bars, when Albert is assumed dead. (Spoiler – he’s just been at the pub).
This is a funny, jubilant and youthful production of a particularly clever comic opera. Catch it next month in Edinburgh if you can.
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