Review: ROMÉO ET JULIETTE at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Charles Gounod took Shakespeare’s tale of the star-crossed lovers and adapted it to create the 1867 opera, Roméo et Juliette, with an overture and Shakespeare’s explanatory prologue, delivered by the chorus, followed by a five-act opera, with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. State Opera South Australia have brought this wonderful opera to the stage, to the obvious satisfaction of the opening night audience. This fine example of French Romanticism, they announced, is “the global premiere of a re-imagined production”.

Skillfully directed by Rodula Gaitanou, with an intriguing design by takis, and carefully designed lighting by Bernie Tan-Hayes, the musical side of the production is in the very capable hands of conductor, Dane Lam, the Artistic Director of the company. This opera tours to Western Australia next year, and then later goes on to Ireland.

The Montagues and the Capulets have been feuding for as long as they can remember and, when Roméo, a Montague, and Juliette, a Capulet, fall in love at first sight, only to quickly discover that they are expected to hate one another, it is inevitable that their secret marriage will cause trouble for them. Their attempt to escape the mutual hatred of their families ends, of course, in the ultimate tragedy. It is an ideal scenario for an opera, with Gounod’s glorious music heightening the action.

In the first act, the Capulet’s are holding a costume ball and Roméo and his friends attend, uninvited, and masked to avoid recognition. Juliette has been promised to Count Pâris, but has no desire to marry anybody, and sings Je veux vivre dans ce rêve. (I want to live). Roméo and Juliette meet and fall instantly in love. In the second act, the balcony scene, he sneaks into her garden and they express their love and, in the first scene of the third act, they are married by Frére Laurent. After the interval, in the second scene of that act, the tragedy begins, with conflict between two two families. Roméo tries to avoid fighting, but Tybalt kills Mercutio, and Roméo then kills Tybalt in a fit of rage. The Duke of Verona banishes him.

In the fourth act, Roméo and Juliette spend a night together, and he prepares to leave. Her father then announces that she is to marry Pâris immediately. Frére Laurent gives Juliette a vial of a concoction that will make her appear to be dead, but that will wear off in a day. After considerable hesitation, she swallows it, appears to die, and is taken to the family tomb. Roméo arrives, unaware of the plot, and takes poison to join her in death, but she awakens as he is dying. They sing their final duet, he dies and, with no poison left, she stabs herself and dies with him. Curtain.

The titular roles are taken by tenor, Kyle Stegall, as Roméo, and coloratura soprano, Siobhan Stagg, as Juliette. They immediately establish a wonderful rapport, and their voices blend supremely well. There is great chemistry between them that displays the love that develops between their characters, an attribute so vital to the success of this opera. The most popular and moving moments are, of course, the love duets, and Stegall and Stagg interpret them with great emotion.

Frére Laurent (Friar Laurence) is sung by bass, Pelham Andrews, in another of his consistently fine performances. He quickly establishes the compassionate and empathetic side of the Friar, and we can see his desire for peace between the two warring families that might come about through the union of the two lovers.

Roméo’s friend Mercutio, baritone, Morgan Pearse, and Lady Capulet’s nephew, Tybalt, tenor, Tomas Dalton, establish as believable an animosity between them as Stegall and Stagg do with the love between their characters. The hatred, the anger, is as clear in their singing as it is in their body language and facial expressions. They epitomize the feud between the two families.

Stéphano, Roméo’s young page, in what is referred to as a ‘trouser role’ or ‘pants role’, is sung my mezzo-soprano, Charlotte Kelso who brings a delightfully youthful exuberance and cockiness to the role, and mezzo-soprano Catriona Barr, as Juliette’s nurse, Gertrude, is convincingly attentive to her charge and supportive of her love for Roméo.

There is fine work from the other singers, too, with Eugene Raggio as Count Capulet, Nicholas Lester as Le Duc (of Verona), Jeremy Tatchell as Grégorio, Zachary McCulloch as Benvolio, and Oliver Dinnessen as Count Pâris all turning in admirable performances.

The sets are hinted at, leaving the specifics to the imagination of the audience, and the wonderfully bizarre party costumes for the first act, coupled with quirky, stylised choreography, certainly captured the attention. Costuming crossed eras, from a hoodie, to early 20th Century, and with Roméo, clad in a singlet, hinting at James Dean, while the warring families carried automatic pistols and fought with knives, perhaps nodding at West Side Story.

 As always, the members of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra bring their vast talents to bear, showing great understanding of Gounod’s evocative orchestrations, and he also writes some wonderful music for the chorus, which gives the State Opera Chorus a chance to show why they are so greatly admired.

State Opera has a lot to be proud of in this production. There are only three more performances so, if you have not already done so, be quick to book tickets.

Photography, Andrew Beveridge.