Opera / Pocket opera version of “Le Nozze di Figaro” National Opera. At Wesley Uniting Church, May 8 only. Reviewed by HELEN MUSA

IN a formula he’s invented all by himself, the artistic director of National Opera, Peter Coleman-Wright, has come up with a way of staging opera on a shoestring that he hopes can reinvigorate the art form for today’s audiences.

As he told the audience before the “Pocket Opera” performance of “The Marriage of Figaro” last night, (May 8), he spent some time in lockdown last year figuring out how to get the Mozart‘s famous opera down from around four hours to just one.

He succeeded mainly by taking out the long, slow arias and focusing on Mozart’s lively musical interchanges between the characters. Then had a go at “The Magic Flute”, the results of which we will see at Albert Hall in June.

Coleman-Wright’s improbably-successful new adventure was given a run by Pacific Opera and Willoughby Symphony Orchestra in late March and now here in Canberra it has provided parts for both experienced and aspiring opera singers, filling a gap in our musical landscape.

I say “improbably,” because it took place within the untheatrical confines of Wesley Uniting Church where the 1950s tiled wall, the flower arrangements and other accoutrements of a church are ever visible.

Inviting the audience to enter into a kind of a conspiracy with him to go along with the improbabilities, Coleman-Wright’s choice was to indicate settings such as the countess’ bedroom, the garden and Susanna and Figaro’s new apartment with simple props.

In this venture simplicity was of the essence and had Coleman-Wright decided to be more ambitious he might not have pulled it off.

This was not a sophisticated theatrical production and at times the hand gestures of the actors were a little hackneyed. Neither were there any surtitles to assist us as to what was going on in Lorenzo Da Ponte’s 4-act Italian language libretto, but instead a printed synopsis with scene titles such as “Oh Happy Day,” “A Worthy Rival?” and “The Old Switcherooni!”

IN  the opening scene where Figaro is measuring up their new apartment – ”Cinque… dieci… venti” – it was irritating not knowing exactly what Suzanne and Figaro were saying to each other, especially since it was obviously funny.

But things warmed up when Colin Milner appeared as the libidinous Count Almaviva, his intentions being quite clear.

After a very short while, the commitment of the singers to their characters, their lively interchanges in recitative and their beautiful singing saw the hour rush by to the ravishing finale “Pian pianin le andrò più presso”, where all the characters appear on stage and play directly to the house.

Canberra singer Katrina Wiseman as Susanna proved a good match for imported singer Tristan Entwistle from Sydney, who played Figaro. Beautifully sung and acted, these pleasantly conniving characters sustained the momentum of the opera.

But the highpoint was undoubtedly the bewigged Michaella Edelstein playing Cherubino, the “pants” role of the opera. Edelstein lit up the stage with her vivacity and her voice every time she came on as the silly boy who loves falling in love.

The key to the success of the concert/production was the elegant, deft performance of Ella Luhtasaari at the piano, who provided the perfect accompaniment to a light-hearted evening of opera blessed with the music of Mozart.