Figaro (Shaun Aquilina) and Susanna (Camilla Foster-Mitchell)
| Figaro | Shaun Aquilina |
| Susanna | Camilla Foster-Mitchell |
| Count Almaviva | James Corrigan |
| Countess Almaviva | Louise Herrington |
| Cherubino | Lydia Holmes |
| Barbarina | Lucy Fitt |
| Marcellina | Tamsin Slatter |
| Don Basilio | Duncan Powell |
| Curzio | Jim Petts |
| Bartolo | James Mitchell |
| Antonio | David Bunney |
Stage director Stan Pretty MBE; Conductor Benjamin Hamilton; Set designer Suzanne Thomson; Costumes Lili Tuttle.
One of the ways we talked about 'Figaro' was 'Downton Abbey meets Whitehall farce'. There are lots of farcical moments – hiding in cupboards, disguises, cross-dressing and jumping out of windows – and the upstairs/downstairs shenanigans are the pivot of the plot. But there are less frothy bits in the story too, like the abuse of power and privilege; stubborn, cunning resistance; and finally forgiveness and reconciliation. No wonder that Director Stan Pretty wrote: 'Mozart's exquisite opera has long been a favourite of mine not only for its glorious music but for its fine characterisations, its comedy, its mood changes, its lyricism and its – in many ways – bizarre but endearing theatricality.'
Our audiences must have agreed with Stan – numbers were well up!
We'd like to say a special thank-you to two people: Christine Buras, who covered for illness by singing part of the Countess's role from the pit; and our former musical director Benjamin Hamilton, who took the conductor's baton at a very late stage.
The Countess (Louise Herrington) and Count (James Corrigan)
Photos — the Figaro Gallery
'A stock figure for the common man' — the Figaro back-story
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