BWW Reviews: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, King's Head Theatre, October 6 2014

The Marriage of Figaro (continuing at the King's Head Theatre until 8 November) is the last original production at the venue for OperaUpClose, who are upping sticks and will be up close elsewhere in 2015 (after a "Greatest Hits" encore on Upper Street in December and January). I'll be following them, as I have since 2010.

After those four years in residence, the formula is well-established but no less thrillingly entertaining for that. Small stage, scaled-down orchestra, definitely not scaled down voices, innovative staging and all done in English with plenty of wry humour to complement the tunes. Literally - what's not to like?

Robin Norton-Hale's libretto is very funny and very silly, with plenty of comic cuts as identities are swapped, wardrobes are opened to reveal unexpected occupants and it all ends happily ever after. If not completely pure, it's certainly entertaining! So too Sarah Tipple's direction, which requires the cast to build the set, but we get to listen to Alex Beetschen's three-piece band and Mozart's melodies while get to work, so it's hardly an imposition!

The cast, as they must since we're pretty much onstage with them, have a lot of fun and that spirit spills over into the stalls. Nicholas Dwyer is a presposterously philandering Count, his arrogance ripe for manipulation by both the Countess (a sly, but utterly justified, Fae Evelyn) and his maid Susanna (Sarah Minns in coquettish mood). Even the blameless Figaro (Richard Immergluck) gets the rough end of Susanna's teasing at one point, but most of the time he's trying to wriggle off hooks of his own making, as he conspires with his wife-to-be to keep the Count's wandering hands at bay. Felicity Buckland (in a trouser role as the hormonally-challenged page boy Cherubino) is terrifically funny and, delightfully, about as unboyish as one could imagine!

There's definitely a touch of panto in the air - and why not - but there's plenty of opera too. The music hurtles along at a pace and the singers do well just to keep up. Ms Minns and Ms Buckland sound lovely throughout (and not too loud) but Ms Evelyn's second half aria is the standout, the hairs on the back of the neck moment that's come to be expected from this company.

No doubt there's still many who fear opera - all those four-hour specials on BBC4 can intimidate - and for years I did too. Ten minutes of The Barber of Seville (where we first met Figaro) at this venue in OperaUpClose's early days, saw 47 years of "not-for-me-ing" disappear forever. The same thing will happen to you - just go along and see if it doesn't!