Orpheus in the Underworld

The Market Place Theatre, Armagh

Orpheus in the Underworld

was a theatrical sensation in the Paris of 1858. Whatever its satirical content and social comment, it was first and foremost a fun-filled evening. Northern Ireland Opera’s touring version, a co-production with Scottish Opera, certainly managed to achieve all of that, but without Offenbach’s orchestra or his Second Empire sets and costumes.

Oliver Mears, NIO's artistic director, has updated the action to an imaginary present day, given the contemporary references in Rory Bremner's often sizzling new translation and the tabloid press back drops which included a front page from the News of the underWorld.

The costumes are mixed and matched to highlight the characters: Jupiter’s Giant Fly being hilariously gross. The sets, like the costumes, were designed by Simon Holdsworth. They were effectively minimal, apart from the relative orgy of fluorescent lights, champagne bottles and pole dancers in Pluto’s Bar, which was Hades, the setting for the operetta’s Cancan climax.

Once attuned to the overall mood established by Public Opinion’s opening address to the audience, this production fizzed along with neat timing, decidedly bawdy humour and some neat choreography. Clarity of diction was good throughout, except, not unexpectedly, in some of the fast-moving patter sections.

Instead of piano accompaniment it was a bonus to have a 10-piece instrumental ensemble, including percussion and trumpet, for the Northern Ireland tour.

Conducted by Derek Clark, the cast was a well-balanced ensemble, all with real acting ability. It’s worth singling out soprano Jane Harrington, excellent in the central role of Eurydice, and it was a relief that her spoken Essex-girl twang wasn’t maintained in her singing. Mezzo Máire Flavin, Ireland’s representative in this year’s Cardiff Competition, revealed a different side to her character as the pompous Public Opinion, more speaking than singing, but a commanding presence in both.

Tenor Gavan Ring, a wily and wheedling Pluto, baritone Brendan Collins, a randy Jupiter, and Nicholas Sharratt, the violin-playing Orpheus, all brought vocal quality to the evening.

Having already toured Scotland, the production will play at London’s Young Vic for eight nights in December.