Rossini was just twenty-three when he composed Il Barbiere di Siviglia, writing at a pace that bordered on the reckless and creating, in the process, what would become perhaps the greatest comic opera ever written. More than two centuries later, the music still feels astonishingly youthful: effervescent, mischievous and propelled by an irrepressible energy that never seems to pause for breath. Grange Park Opera’s new production captures that spirit perfectly.
Bruno Ravella’s stylish staging embraces all the sparkle, verve and sheer theatrical joie de vivre that make Barbiere such an enduring delight. This is Rossini in top gear: witty, fast-moving and gloriously unconcerned with subtlety when exuberance will do the job infinitely better. The result is an evening that positively crackles with energy from beginning to end.
James Newby is a wonderfully charismatic and enterprising Figaro – unquestionably the man who knows everything worth knowing. His Largo al factotum arrives with all the swagger and confidence the role demands, but it is the production’s inspired staging of the number that brings the house down. The shower scene injects a delicious touch of theatrical impishness into proceedings and the audience’s delighted response leaves little doubt that Rossini himself, never a composer to shy away from broad comedy, would have thoroughly approved. Newby rides the moment magnificently, combining vocal brilliance with effortless comic assurance and, as if the scene had not already provided enough entertainment, descends from the bathroom to the stage by sliding effortlessly down a brass pole.
As Rosina, Ginger Costa-Jackson is utterly captivating. Possessed of a warm, richly coloured and undeniably sultry mezzo-soprano, she brings glamour, intelligence and no small measure of mischief to Rossini’s heroine. Her stage presence is magnetic and her radiance effortless; one instinctively finds one’s eye drawn towards her whenever she appears on stage. This is a Rosina who knows exactly what she wants and precisely how she intends to get it. Costa-Jackson combines vocal agility with dramatic sophistication, dispatching Rossini’s fiendishly demanding writing with apparent ease whilst investing every phrase with personality and charm.
Nico Darmanin brings youthful ardour and elegance to Count Almaviva, while Simon Bailey’s Don Bartolo is charmingly exasperated rather than merely ridiculous, making the character all the more engaging for it. Julian Close lends Basilio an appropriately sonorous authority, and Michael Ferguson contributes warmly to the production’s strong ensemble spirit.
Particular mention must be made of Ailish Tynan’s Berta. Rossini relished imbuing even his minor characters moments of vivid individuality, and Tynan rewards his faith handsomely. Her bright, gleaming soprano combines technical brilliance with impeccable comic timing, while her effortless stage presence transforms the long-suffering housekeeper into one of the evening’s most rewarding characterisations. She seizes every opportunity afforded by the role and very nearly steals the show altogether. One leaves wishing Rossini had given her another aria or two.
Under the baton of Gianluca Marcianò, the Gascoigne Orchestra captures every ounce of Rossini’s famous brio. The overture fizzes with anticipation, ensembles sparkle with precision and momentum, and the great Rossinian crescendos unfold with exhilarating inevitability. The score positively dances its way through the evening.
It is easy to understand why Verdi would later describe Il Barbiere di Siviglia as the finest opera buffa ever written. Rossini took the elegant conventions of eighteenth-century comic opera and turned up the volume, the pace and the theatricality, creating a work that still feels remarkably fresh and modern more than two hundred years later.
Francis O’Connor’s designs and Tim Mitchell’s lighting create a world that feels elegant, playful and timeless, complementing rather than overwhelming the action. As darkness gradually falls beyond the walls of the Theatre in the Woods, the atmosphere becomes increasingly magical.
There is a pleasing symmetry in the fact that an opera whose original premiere in Rome was beset by mishaps, interruptions and theatrical chaos should now feel so assured and joyously confident in performance. Grange Park understands instinctively that the secret of Barbiere lies not in restraint but in unbridled buoyancy.
By the jubilant close, one understands exactly why generations of composers and critics have regarded Il Barbiere di Siviglia as the supreme comic opera. Verdi himself considered it unrivalled, and Grange Park Opera makes an extremely persuasive case for his judgement.
This production possesses everything one could wish for from Rossini’s masterpiece: glamour, charm, musical brilliance and an irrepressible sense of fun. It sparkles from first note to last.
Grange Park Opera, West Horsley Place KT24 6AN until 12 July 2026
Box Office: 01962 73 73 73
