Reviews
TOSCA

WHAT A TRAGEDY…

it would have been, if Tosca had not recently arrived in Mackay (North Queensland). For a while it seemed that Puccini's opera would not appear, but some strong lobbying by aficionados, along with some generous benefaction, saw us being entertained by this wonderful and timeless microcosm of human passion. Co-Opera, based in South Australia, has been around since 1990 and the company now has an enviable reputation of bringing opera to the people in both an affordable and an exciting manner. They have successfully toured with an amazing repertoire of operatic gems in only 13 years, including The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro, and Tosca was no less of a gem, presented with a sparkle that delighted the grateful audience at the Mackay Entertainment Centre.

I will admit that I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to the traditional operas and would have loved to have seen a proper set, orchestra and all, but I accept that, in order to bring opera to the starving masses, and to take the whole caboodle on the road (in this case a very long road), costs must be minimised, and setting must be serviceable, easily transported and able to be quickly assembled. To this end, or maybe because of the overall objectives, they have presented opera in some rather unusual venues, such as showgrounds, gardens and wineries, with the Mackay Entertainment Centre foyer probably being one of the less unusual. Nevertheless, opera in the round, or where the audience is right in your face, has a lot going for it, and this production of Tosca was no exception.

It was interesting to note that the picture of Mary Magdalene painted by Cavaradossi had dark hair, as opposed to the usual blonde tresses, but, I guess that alternative would be for the soprano Jillian Chatterton (Tosca) to wear a dark wig or to darken her wonderful red locks. The singing was superb form all the performers, not least of them being the soprano, and it soon became obvious that all the artists had, between them, a wealth of experience (with large amount gained overseas). Most notable performances came from Stuart Nielson-Kemp as Mario Cavaradossi and Peter Deane as Baron Scarpia, with great support from the rest of the cast. As indicated, the backing music was minimalist, but certainly not inferior, with the Musical Director Brian Chatterton, producing a sensitive and creative performance on the piano. There was some percussion provided and, out of that, some very loud 'cannon' shots, which made most people at my table physically jump. Some chorus work, where it was ultimately required, had been pre-recorded, but was acceptable under the circumstances.

Notwithstanding, the entire production was fresh and exciting and the final scene, where the mock execution turns out to be anything but mock, and where Tosca makes her plunge over the parapet, dramatically wound up what was a marvellous way to spend any evening.

© Douglas W Koschel 2003 [Mackay, Queensland]

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