The Magic Flute

Mozart's classic 'Singspiel' The Magic Flute is a ravishing, glittering success.

If you are new to Opera, this is probably one of the best ways to get an introduction, and this production will delight and surprise even the most seasoned opera fan. It's in the form of what was known as a 'Singspiel' - telling the story with spoken word and singing much in the manner of a contemporary stage musical.

From the start, we are in a Victorian steampunk setting, with a hokey showman in a swirling cloak drawing an audience member into the action, and the curtain is then raised to reveal a fabulous set, dazzlingly well lit throughout, and whose moving parts and mechanical flexibility all add to this glorious spectacle.

Sung (and spoken) in English , this fantasy fairytale kicks off with the gorgeously dressed Three Ladies emerging from the shadows to rescue Tamino from a serpent, itself a wonderfully inventive piece of stage construction. Their dresses and their head-dresses sparkle with myriad lights, and their sassy appraisal of the physical attributes of Tamino, who has un-heroically fainted from fright, is a delight to listen to and to watch.

Simon Higlett's staging and design is quite wonderful, with portals continually opening to new backdrops, and its moving parts offering up different scenarios with almost casual success - and this is all lit subtly and spectacularly. There are gorgeous echoes of Victorian industry mixed with Egyptian and Masonic symbols throughout, and more than a few nods to Glasgow's industrial heritage. It's a world echoing the literature of Jules Verne, and the imagination of HG Wells and the detail, colour, sparkle and subtlety of all this adds to the musical and comic delights on offer.

The comic genius of Mozart's work is probably best personified by Papageno, beautifully characterised and sung by Richard Burkhard as the cocky, cheeky birdcatcher, who acts as the earthy everyman as we move through this story. He is a vaudeville showman - witty and vulgar at the same time, and he effortlessly breaks the fourth wall to conspire with and amuse the audience in pantomime style. It's the way this character moves across the stage and uses the sets that highlights the fluid and subtle choreography of the whole piece.

The musical performances are exquisite, with the iconic Queen of the Night's aria in Act II providing the spine-tingling apogee from Julia Sitkovetsky, with a stunning delivery of one of Mozart's most astonishing and acrobatic demonstrations of the power and range of a soprano voice. Goosebumps.

Burkhard as Papageno deftly steals the show, but the chorus also acquit themselves admirably, and the performances of both Peter Gijsberten as Tamino, and Gemma Summerfield as Pamina are top notch. Adrian Thompson plays Monostatos with gleeful malevolence, and James Creswell's Sarastro carries both power and gravitas.  This production sounds as good as it looks, and credit has to be given to the Scottish Opera orchestra under Tobias Ringborg.

You also get great value for your money here, with near on three hours of spectacle to enjoy. The opening night ended with sustained and thunderous applause, and more than a few whoops, screams and shouts of approval for the audiences favourites. This is an uplifting, comical and beautifully sung and played production that is a joy for the eyes and the ears. Magic.

After Glasgow, the production tours to Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London’s Hackney Empire and Belfast. I suggest you book now.

★★★★★ 5 stars