“I PUT the popularity of ‘The Barber of Seville’ down to Bugs Bunny,” tenor John Longmuir tells me as we discuss the forthcoming appearance of Opera Australia at the Canberra Theatre.

It wasn’t exactly how I thought our discussion of grand opera was going to begin, but it led me to do some quick research. 

He was right. Bugs took up the baton to conduct the famous aria “Largo al factotum” in the cartoon “Long Haired Hare”, then later, more famously, starred in “The Rabbit of Seville”.

But it’s not just the rascally rabbit who’s had a go at the “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro” aria, but also Tom and Jerry, Woody Woodpecker, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester the Cat, Mrs Doubtfire and Homer Simpson.

It doesn’t worry Longmuir one iota that the bubbly Rossini opera is so popular, and he loves it that, when in Griffith during their 30-stop NSW tour, the Italians in the audience were roaring with laughter at jokes people reliant on subtitle titles couldn’t understand.

The Edinburgh-born singer will not be performing that aria. Rather, he will sing the role of Count Almaviva, in which he made his debut with Opera Australia during 2016 in the Elijah Moshinsky production.

The role is a contested one in the world of opera, because the very same count turns up years later in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” as a philandering swine, for which he drops a register and becomes a baritone, more suitable for villains.

But in “The Barber of Seville”, where he is courting the beauteous young Rosina in a scenario drawn straight from the Italian commedia dell’arte, he is simply a petulant noble who gets what he wants no matter what happens. 

“All it takes is the flip of a hat or an eyepatch and the trouble goes away,” Longmuir says. “In this opera he is sort of a hero, but I feel there’s a bit of the later philanderer appearing.” 

Longmuir says it’s been a long tour, but a lot of fun, especially since director Priscilla Jackman’s approach is quite non-reverential, matching a plot full of flippancy and horseplay.

She’s even managed to set it in the Yarra Valley town of Seville (yes, there is such a place) known more for its wine than its oranges, he notes.

So far they’re having a “quite good response,” due, he thinks, to the fact that it’s a vibrant, bright, fast-paced show.

Longmuir can now count himself an OA veteran after having done about 30 roles and 500 performances.

“Singing Count Almaviva has always been a favourite of mine, but I also loved doing Camille in Graeme Murphy’s ‘The Merry Widow’ and Tamino in Julie Taymor’s ‘The Magic Flute’.” 

“The Barber of Seville” is full of famous tunes and he says he loves all the ensemble parts.

“Most of my ‘big singing’ is done in the first 20 minutes,” he says, “I don’t really love the aria at the beginning because you have to be really well warmed up to do it properly, but I do love the trio with Rosina and Figaro right at the end.”

Although travelling can be heavy work, no matter how many times he sings the music of the popular Rossini opera, “it’s always fun and pleasant to listen to,” he says.

“The Barber of Seville”, Canberra Theatre, September 15-17.