Carmen – State Opera of South Australia

Bizet’s opera Carmen is a story of contrasts: the soldiers and the smugglers, Carmen and Michaëla, Don José and the Toreador set against the background with the cigarette factory brooding over a square in which a tree with beautiful red flowers offering their shade. Later, the smugglers’ lair is lit only by a small fire. Finally, at the bull-fight ring when the bell sounds where crowds cheer the Toreador onto victory as Don José’s fatal steps are coming.

The opening scenes have Morales (Nicholas Lester) striding arrogantly about the crowd ogling and fingering young women who work in the factory. When the women emerge for their break, all are waiting for Carmen (Charlotte Kelso) who does not disappoint. She sings and dances followed by all eyes, except those of Don José, who seems more interested in what is in his pockets than Carmen. What a challenge! She throws him a flower and so it begins his downfall: not even Micaëla arriving from his own village with messages from his mother brings him to his senses.

This State Opera production of the story is lifted above the melodrama to a real-life story. Charlotte Kelso as Carmen creates, both vocally and visually, a woman who is seductive, playful, self-centred and wanting excitement and freedom. Don José (Gerard Schneider) falls under her spell, but unlike many in this role, never loses his sense of self and his military mindset until the final tragic scene, where he crawls on the ground towards Carmen’s body. He has a magnificent voice suited to all the emotional nuance as well as dignity he maintains while wreaked with jealousy and despair.

Micaëla (Desiree Frahn) is an effective foil to Carmen, both vocally and in her expressive personality in her own quiet way without being a pushover. The Toreador, Escamillo, (Samuel Dale Johnson) in his role of popular hero is confident and outgoing. Mercedes (Fiona McCardle) and Frasquita (Cathy-Di Zhang) as Carmen’s special friends are a delight. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was excellent as usual. There were one or two times when the chorus was slightly out of sync, but overall they did a wonderful job and were very convincing.

While the set and costumes worked very well, they were not constructed or designed specifically for this opera but had been re-crafted from other sets. This is a sensible strategy economically and environmentally. No one will see them as anything but totally fitting for this production of Carmen.

Laura Hansford as director encouraged and enabled all the singers – principles and chorus – to be real people in a real world apart from the magic and make-believe of opera. It’s an exciting and emotional production of an opera too often presented with cardboard characters.

Her Majesty’s Theatre, 17th to 24 October.