W.A.Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, English National Opera; London Coliseum, WC2 | until 21 February. BSL Interpretated Performance Tuesday 17 February at 19.00 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by Clare Colvin

Photo credit: James Glossop

W.A.Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte

English National Opera, London Coliseum, WC2 | until 21 February. BSL Interpretated Performance Tuesday 17 February at 19.00

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by Clare Colvin

“Cosi as Carnival.”

Director Phelim McDermott of Improbable fame has hit the jackpot in his second revival of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, transferred from 18th century Naples by the sea to a 1950s Coney Island fairground. 

When first seen in 2014 the concept of fairground fun hadn’t yet caught my imagination. But much extra work has gone into it since - more acrobats, more circus acts, fire-eating, spectacular scenic effects, gorgeous sunsets, and zany fairground rides in swan boats or human-sized 1950s tea cups. 

The plot itself is a merry go round.  Cynical old roué Don Alfonso (Andrew Foster-Williams) bets two young men enjoying the sideshows with their fiancées that the girls will be unfaithful given the chance.  The boys take on the bet in indignant defence of the honour of the two sisters, Lucy Crowe’s Fiordiligi and Taylor Raven’s Dorabella.   Don Alfonso enlists the help of the maid Despina to enable the deception to go ahead whereby the boys depart to war and return in disguise to attempt to seduce the grieving girls.

Despina is a plum of a part and the crystalline-voiced soprano Ailish Tynan is a perfect fit, scornful of the girls’ lack of initiative and eager to seize the day.  Particularly so, when disguised as Doctor Magnetico with the magnetic vibration machine to revive the young men after they pretend to take poison to get sympathy from the girls.

The cynicism of the plot doesn’t detract from the sheer beauty of the music, sensitively conducted by Dinis Sousa, winner of the 2023 Critics’ Circle Young Talent (Conductor) Award, bringing out the love that Mozart gave voice to, meltingly sung by Lucy Crowe in “Per Pieta” from a hot air balloon.  The two young men, Joshua Blue’s Ferrando and Gugliemo’s Darwin Prakash have their moments of anguish too.

Conductor: Dinis Sous

Director: Phelim McDermott

Associate Director: Peter Relton

Set Designer: Tom Pye

Costume Designer: Laura Hopkins

Lighting Designer: Paule Constable

Revival Lighting Designer: Gary James