An entertaining recount of operatic rivalry that doesn’t quite hit the emotional high note.
Summary
Rating
Good!
It’s the 1890s, and Leoncaballo (Alasdair Buchan) is furious. His friend – or so he thought – Puccini (Sebastien Torkia) has stolen his idea for his next opera.
Both composers plan to adapt Henri Murger’s Scènes de la vie de Bohème, but the timelines of when each decided to do so is unclear. Leoncaballo is convinced that Puccini has stolen his idea, while Puccini says he’s been working on it for a week. Leoncaballo’s wife, Berthe (Lisa-Anne Wood), is brought in to listen to each side of the argument.
It takes a while for the play to establish its rhythm. The first ten minutes or so feel somewhat stilted, a little unnatural, but the actors find their way into the characters, and the script settles into itself soon after. The rivalry between the two men is playful in its oversimplification, and Berthe’s frustration with both of them is entertaining.
The cast’s ability to switch between characters and ways of holding themselves is impressive. With just three actors on stage, they joke that they’ll have to step in and play different roles as the two men retell their interpretations of recent events – and they do. It’s overall a fun device, and one that makes good use of an array of props, but it is occasionally distracting when the heavier scenes come into play
The overarching emphasis on the comic jars with the more serious comments made about the nature of art: who gets to make it, the politics that go into what gets shown and what gets lost to history.
On the more personal side, observations of Puccini’s troubled marriage and a fraught conversation with his wife towards the end of the play never find their emotional feet. The tone sways around so much that these heftier segments don’t pack enough of a punch, and the characters are too playful to convey the necessary depth.
Then there are questions about the place of a woman and a wife in this landscape, questions which feel woefully underanswered despite the strong set-up. Berthe is ostensibly a ‘strong female character’, but outside of her husband’s work, she doesn’t really do anything. She’s given up her career as a soprano, after struggling up the rungs of the artistic ladder, but we learn little of her interiority.
The framing of the story is interesting. While we are seeing this rivalry in its time, the characters repeatedly make reference to future events; most notably, Puccini’s later cases of potential plagiarism (or broader idea theft) and the results of his voracious infidelity. It’s a good way to build up these characters, to illustrate a story that many will be unfamiliar with, and although it occasionally pulls focus from the here and now, playing with timelines in this way really brings the story to life.
Design-wise, Carly Brownbridge’s set is excellent. The Leoncaballos’ sitting room feels lived-in, and a series of panels that open across the back wall of the stage – often with a gloved arm protruding to offer a timely prop – are a nice touch. That Bastard, Puccini! revitalises operatic history with panache and humour, and although some moments don’t quite hit the high notes, it’s certain that you won’t be able to listen to Puccini’s La Bohème in quite the same way again.
Writer: James Inverne
Director: Daniel Slater
Producer & General Manager: Rebecca Gwyther
Set & Costume Designer: Carly Brownbridge
Lighting Designer: Katy Morison
Sound Designer: Yvonne Gilbert
Musical Director: Tim Murray
Production Manager: Charlie Rayner
That Bastard Puccini! plays at the Park Theatre until Saturday 9 August.
