This February English National Opera revives its much-loved staging of Così fan tutte, first presented in 2014, at the London Coliseum, returning with undiminished charm and a renewed vitality. Mozart’s most ambiguous comedy; by turns mischievous, tender and quietly philosophical; emerges here with warmth, elegance and an unmistakable sense of delight in performance itself; proving how thoughtfully conceived revivals can deepen rather than merely repeat an artistic vision.
Director Phelim McDermott relocates the action to a nostalgic 1950s Coney Island fairground; a world of carousel lights, illusion and playful artifice. It remains an inspired frame for an opera built upon disguise and emotional uncertainty. Acrobats drift through scenes, flamboyance and movement ripple constantly across the stage, yet the spectacle never overwhelms the human story. Instead, it heightens the opera’s central idea; that love, like the fairground, is thrilling precisely because it is unpredictable.
Musically, the evening is guided with sensitivity and buoyancy by conductor Dinis Sousa; whose reading allows Mozart’s score to breathe naturally. The English National Opera Orchestra plays with clarity and poise, balancing elegance with playful energy, while ensembles unfold with conversational ease; the musical equivalent of sparkling wit exchanged among friends.
The cast forms an unusually cohesive ensemble. Soprano Lucy Crowe brings luminous control and emotional intelligence to Fiordiligi, shaping her great arias with both technical assurance and genuine vulnerability. Opposite her, Taylor Raven’s Dorabella offers warmth and impulsive charm; her darker mezzo colouring provides a pleasing contrast that enriches the sisters’ duets. Together they create a portrait of affection that feels sincere rather than schematic.
As the young officers, Joshua Blue (Ferrando) sings with lyrical ease and stylish phrasing, while Darwin Prakash’s Guglielmo combines vocal richness with relaxed comic timing. Their performances capture the opera’s delicate balance between bravado and bewilderment; men discovering that emotional games rarely unfold as planned.
The evening’s quiet anchor arrives in Andrew Foster-Williams’s Don Alfonso, whose philosophical amusement never slips into cynicism. His presence lends the drama a gentle wisdom; reminding us that Mozart’s comedy ultimately concerns human frailty rather than mockery. Meanwhile, Ailish Tynan delivers a sparkling Despina, quick-witted and irresistibly alive; her comic interventions landing with effortless charm. What distinguishes this revival most is its generosity of spirit. Jeremy Sams’s English translation feels conversational and accessible, allowing the humour to land cleanly while preserving emotional nuance. The production acknowledges the opera’s teasing examination of fidelity without heaviness, trusting instead in Mozart’s compassion and intelligence; an approach that proves deeply rewarding. The themes of love, doubt and self-knowledge emerge gently, almost unexpectedly, beneath the laughter.
Visually exuberant yet emotionally grounded, this Così fan tutte reminds us why Mozart’s opera continues to resonate more than two centuries after its premiere in 1790. Beneath the carnival brightness lies something recognisably human; the uncertainty of love, the elasticity of identity, and the quiet hope that understanding may follow confusion. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music, performed here with affection and finesse, glows throughout.
In an era when opera companies often strive for reinvention at any cost, English National Opera achieves something rarer; renewal through joy. The result is an evening that feels generous, intelligent and wholly life-enhancing; a Così fan tutte that sends its audience back into the London night a little lighter, and perhaps a little wiser too.
Così fan tutte at London Coliseum
Semi-Staged Concert of Così fan tutte at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester 27-28 Februrary 2026
