Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
The 2016 production – revived by Max Hoehn – emphasises the farcical rather than subversive aspects of Mozart’s opera. It took a while to settle down, with conductor Kerem Hasan setting a frenetic pace

It’s an indication of the dire straits in which Welsh National Opera finds itself at present that this Mozart opera is the company’s only production before the much-vaunted Peter Grimes in April. A staging first seen in 2016 by now betrays the slightly battered look of the moving walls of the late Ralph Koltai’s set. Yet, if the WNO personnel feel similarly battered, they performed here with as much guts as could possibly be mustered, determined to prove that resilience is all.

With a mix of extravagant period costume and contemporary touches – metal stepladder, ironing board, castors on the armchair that hides Cherubino and then the count – revival director Max Hoehn emphasises the farcical aspects of the plot rather than the more subversive core that attracted Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. The acting and interaction had an often frenetic air, only emphasised by the bustling pace set by conductor Kerem Hasan, especially in the first two acts.