Opera North - Alcina

Alcina is a supernatural opera set on an enchanted island composed by George Frideric Handel. It’s a tale of deception, seduction, love and loss. All men who set foot on the island fall under Alcina’s spell, but she experiences true love for the first time when knight Ruggiero arrives. Her magic is tested to breaking point when Ruggiero’s fiancée, Bradamente, arrives to rescue him. 

Alcina’s island is a barren wasteland, it’s animals, trees and rocks are in fact her spellbound lovers. The staging reflected this as it was stripped back and simple with a few chairs, a bear rug and video backdrop which helped transform the set from an island paradise into a dark jungle. The movement used in the videos took us on a journey around the island and before we knew it, we were in the “Heart of Darkness”. 

Opera North is a company bursting with talent. The small cast of six allowed every member to have a solo moment and let us enjoy each performer’s voice. The performers didn’t wear microphones and the power they had to have in order to fill the auditorium was next level, and this cast delivered every time. You could hear every line clearly over the orchestra, whether they were belting or singing softly. 

The casting was strong in all areas. Sky Ingram stood in for Márie Flavin for this performance. Ingram’s Alcina is every inch a queen with her grace and presence tied together with Ingram’s stunning vocals. From the moment she first appears, you immediately know it is her island. She’s powerful and seductive, you wouldn’t dare cross her. Ingram delivers drama and vocal contrast in all her arias, giving an all-rounded superb performance. 

There was a contrast from bass to soprano which gave a nice range and vocal balance to the show. Mari Askvik sang opposite Patrick Terry’s Ruggiero as Brandamante, who is disguised as her own brother, Ricciardo. Enchantress Melissa was rewritten from a bartone to a mezzo soprano, played by Claire Pascoe. Fflur Wyn sang as Morgana and Nick Pritchard as Oronte, who are lovers. The orchestra was led by conductor Laurence Cummings and their renditions of Handel’s arias were beautiful. It’s a real treat to listen to a large orchestra with a range of instruments.

It’s the first sustainable performance of this opera with everything from costumes to set being second-hand from other shows. Knowing this helped to understand why some of the costumes didn’t quite fit with the island setting. The gowns and suits were not what you expect to see on a barren wasteland but having been recycled, you can appreciate that they were the closest match possible. Overall there was a theme of monochrome with a dash of sparkle and each costume resembled the character well. 

I’d say this show is for people who enjoy opera and understand it’s art form. There isn’t much dynamic throughout the score which meant there was no obvious tension building at any time. Saying this, the performers and musicians are of extremely high standard with one beautiful aria after another. It’s a chance to enjoy Handel’s Italian pennings and with the English subtitles, you can understand what is happening.

We score Alcina - 7/10