With a sparkling score and new take on the famous children’s tale, Scottish Opera breathes new life into Cinderella, writes Susan Welsh
Cinderella is the ultimate rags-to-riches story, a tale of good triumphing over evil that’s often told in a sweet-as-sugar way.
Scottish Opera’s new production of the classic tale, La Cenerentola, offers a different but highly entertaining version of the much-loved story as soprano Rebecca Bottone, who plays one of the stepsisters, revealed:
“The story isn’t linked to a set period. At the beginning, I’m wearing a sort of trashy tracksuit that’s quite modern day; for the second half, we’re in 1950s costumes, but there’s also an 18th-century influence throughout. The reason being that it places the story in a kind of no man’s land which lets us concentrate on the relationships between each other,” said Rebecca.
“It’s all a bit wacky in terms of costumes, while my hair is very Tim Burton.”
Featuring a host of colourful characters, this new production features music that’s bright, breathless and full of energy.
“The music is glorious; it really is Rossini at his best, and there are very famous passages that everyone will recognise. At times, the whole cast is on stage singing together very fast. We call it the patter passages, and these really heighten the drama,” said Rebecca.
“I love singing in Italian, but the dialogue in this opera is so quick that it’s a massive gymnastic workout for our mouths. You have to work it into your muscle memory to make it work.”
The story is one that most people will be familiar with, but there are twists aplenty. Forced to work as servant to her stepfather and stepsisters, Cenerentola (Cinderella) dreams of the past, and of a better life. Kind and generous, she is all that her family is not.
Hearing that Don Ramiro is holding a ball to choose a wife, her sisters gleefully prepare themselves for royal life. Then a mysterious veiled lady makes an unexpected appearance at the palace and their ambitions look set to be thwarted.
“I’m playing Clorinda, one of the stepsisters, although we’re not ugly in the traditional sense, but ugly on the inside.
“Basically, the sisters are a double act and have a very competitive relationship, sibling rivalry at its best, but what’s interesting is that when they feel threatened, they come together as a unit.
“In this version, there’s a fairy godfather instead of mother, and no shoe but a bracelet. It’s nice to be a bit different as, instead of thinking they know the story, the audience will be taken on a different route; it’s not a dull journey.
Director Sandrine Anglade makes her Scottish Opera debut with this new co-production with Opéra National du Rhin, leading a creative team that is rapidly becoming regarded as expert in staging Rossini’s comedies – comprising designer Claude Chestier, lighting designer Eric Blosse and choreographer Pascaline Verrier.
The cast includes Russian mezzo-soprano Victoria Yarovaya, winner of the 2013 Mercedes Viñas Prize, rising Rossini tenor Nico Darmanin, Richard Burkhard and renowned bass Graeme Danby.
Rossini’s bright, energetic score will be conducted by William Lacey, who makes his Scottish Opera debut after serving as Kapellmeister with Oper Leipzig.
Director Sandrine Anglade said: “While the frantic pace and vitality of Rossini’s music propels us into a world of escapism, this is emphatically not a fairytale. Rossini and his librettist Ferretti have given us a fable about the triumph of goodness, but also an interesting psychological story: Who is Cenerentola? She has lost her identity and sets about building a new one as her own means of rescue and escape.”
Rebecca said: “The last time I was in Inverness was with The Pirates of Penzance, which was such great fun.
“I love travelling, and one nice bonus about being with Scottish Opera is being able to visit different places. I become a bit of a tourist when I’m with the company, simply unpacking then going off to explore. Inverness is one of my favourite places. It’s so beautiful and there are lots of great restaurants and places to explore. The cast are having an outing to Culloden while we’re there, so that should be interesting, too.”
La Cenerentola is at HM Theatre, Aberdeen, on Thursday, October 30, at 7.30pm, and on Saturday, November 1, at 7.30pm. Free events include La Cenerentola Unwrapped on Friday, October 31, at 6pm. A pre-show talk and touch tour both take place at 6pm on Saturday, November 1. Contact 01224 641122. The opera is at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, on November 4, 6 and 8, with performances at 7.15pm nightly. Free events include La Cenerentola Unwrapped at 6pm on Wednesday, November 5, and a pre-show talk and touch tour, both at 6pm on Saturday, November 8. Contact 01463 234234. The opera will be sung in Italian with English subtitles.