A baritone steals the show as a meddling mama in opera's most chaotic backstage farce.
First seen in Naples in 1827, this farce of a “theatre within a theatre” narrates the mishaps of a second-rate opera company as it stages the great serious drama Romolo ed Ersilia in a provincial theatre. The unbearable tensions between the two lead singers are finally resolved with the decisive intervention of one of their mothers. The co-production by Ópera de Lyon along with the Grand Theâtre de Genève and Teatro Real is brought to life by Laurent Pelly, a tireless champion of Donizetti's comedies.
Acting
Carlos Álvarez's scene-stealing drag turn as Mamma Agata.
Direction
Pelly's kinetic staging keeps 1827 slapstick surprisingly fresh.
Production
Triple-threat co-production delivers gorgeous sets on a shoestring.
Director
Laurent Pelly
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Donizetti wrote this in 1827 while procrastinating on three other commissions; the speed shows in the best way.
Pelly's staging updates the 'theatre within theatre' to comment on modern opera's funding crises — the shabby sets are deliberately meta.
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