Così Fan Tutte Review – The brilliant circus show has its tongue firmly in its cheek | Opera

nFor a long time, Così Fan Tutte seemed full of pitfalls. On the surface, Mozart and Da Ponte’s operas are full of cynicism, cruelty and outdated sexual politics: if the production hovers above these, isn’t that a retreat? Now, though – and this week in particular – you could argue that Phelim McDermott’s 2014 ENO is a relief, presenting these issues with witty embellishment and presenting them as pure entertainment.

The prologue sets up what’s to come: In front of a bright curtain, 12 circus performers open themselves one by one from the trunk of a car, holding signs promising lust! intrigue! Great arias! This staging has its tongue firmly in its cheek from the beginning. The setting is 1950s Coney Island: the first act is Happy Days meets hotel farce, thanks to the graceful revolving walls of Tom Pye’s set, with Guglielmo and Ferrando channeling the Fonz in their disguises.

There are plenty of potential distractions – from those dozens of extras, who bend, stumble, sword-swallow and fire-eat their way through the show, and to a lesser extent from the ENO chorus as the mostly silent show-goers (is that a real candy floss machine?). But our attention remains where it belongs. In the end, the circus performers seemed to know that they were not the main attraction here – but rather that there was something far more mind-blowing going on in their midst. Nor is the sarcasm one-sided. When Guglielmo talks about the fickleness of women, he is seen from behind a hamburger standing next to an increasingly large group of female extras, looking bored and unimpressed as they clear beer glasses. It’s a great way to bring shade back to men.

It helps that this revival is so strong and that the orchestra, conducted by Denis Sousa, sounds lively. Jeremy Sams’s graceful and funny interpretation of the text comes through clearly, as the harp rushes beneath it. Andrew Foster-Williams gives a fine performance as the spunky Don Alfonso, occasionally offering a stirring hint of self-doubt, and Darwin Prakash and Joshua Bleu make a nice double act as Guglielmo and Ferrando, Bleu particularly standing out with the smooth streak of his tenor and warmth on stage.

Meanwhile, Taylor Raven’s quieter but well-sung Dorabella serves as a fine foil for soprano Lucy Crowe’s outstanding fiordiligi: her Act II aria, sung from a Ferris wheel carriage, is a rare but effective moment of intense concentration. Ailish Tynan is in fine form as Despina, balancing mischievous energy with the sense that she’s seen it all before. It’s unclear why two respectable girls would remain unaccompanied at her cheap hotel – but such trolling questions are beside the point. It is better to enjoy Così than to dismantle it.