BWW Reviews: Opera Australia's FAUST Is A Fantastic Dance with The Devil

Thursday 19th February 2015, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Opera Australia's new interpretation of FAUST is a delicious mix of hedonism, debauchery, desire and despair. Based on Sir David McVicar's (Director, Revival Director - Bruno Ravella) staging of the show for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the tale of Faust's entanglement with the devil, Méphistophélès has been has successfully been transported from its original 16th Century Germany to 1870's Century Paris, a time and place that surrounded Charles-François Gounod when he was creating the work. The fabulous settings and costumes of the new era, with can-can dancers in a Cabaret Hall, a Parisian Theatre and a cavernous church, all enhance the world that Faust finds himself as he makes a deal with the devil to recapture his youth and the pleasures he missed during his many years of study.

Guillaume Tourniaire's (Conductor) interpretation of Gounod's music provides beautiful lightness and suspense to the story as he leads the orchestra to capture the contrasts in the music that parallel the contrasts in the story, the sweet innocent that believes in god and heaven, and the tawdry manipulative darkness of hell. Gounod's score allows for more orchestral colouring of action without singing compared to other operas. Starting on a single ominous chord, Méphistophélès and his followers, bearing his black wings, are introduced before he leaves as the aged Faust enters, without a note being sung. This use of the orchestra to set the tone is also effectively used during set changes, creating a mood before the curtain is raised.

Charles Edwards' set keeps the performance on the edge of reality and acknowledgement that this is a fiction playing out. Each scene is bordered by a large two tiered opera box at the side of a proscenium arch on one side and cathedral columns, complete with organ balcony on the other with Méphistophélès' ever present travelling trunk. The central space transforms to become the stage at the Cabaret L'Enfer, the streets of Paris from which the revolutionary soldiers set out for war, the street outside Marguerite's home, the cathedral that she goes to pray and the stage on which the debauched ballet takes place on Walpurgis Night.

Michael Fabiano captures Faust's desire, regret and despair as he evolves from selling his soul to be with the beautiful and innocent Marguerite (Nicole Car) to realising what Méphistophélès'(Teddy Tahu Rhodes) bargain really entails. Car, as the young innocent girl that Méphistophélès uses to lure Faust into the deal, perfectly captures the character with her clear soprano that rings out her love for Faust following the temptation of the jewels Méphistophélès has left her on Faust's behalf, and later her despair at his desertion and the decent into madness as she is cursed by Méphistophélès and rejected by her brother and the village. Tahu Rhodes' bass baritone adds a powerful deep haunting nature to the manipulative character and he plays the role with humour as distracts Marguerite's flirtatious neighbour Marthe (Dominica Matthews), seducing her and then needing to escape "the old hag that wanted to marry the devil". He is adaptable as Méphistophélès transforms himself with the aid of his box of tricks from gentleman with ever present magic red cane to white robed statue of Jesus and garish velvet clad purveyor of excess, darkness, magic and evil. Brigitte Reiffenstuel's costumes also transform Anna Dowsley into the young man/boy, Siébel, charged with looking after Marguerite whilst her brother Valentin (Giorgio Caodura) goes to war. Dowsley gives Siébel purity as she presents his devotion and love for Marguerite with a sweet mezzo soprano.

The Chorus, Actors/Acrobats and Dancers fill out the scenes and help draw the audience into the world of unrestrained earthly pleasure that Méphistophélès draws Faust into. Méphistophélès is often flanked by buff bare chested men that find humour in the goings on of the soldiers in the village, delight in the torment of Marguerite as she seeks salvation and sex charged desire as they watch the provocative absinthe fuelled grotesque Walpurgis Night celebrations. The troupe of dancers create the fast and free nature of the seedy Cabaret L'Enfer and the ethereal Walpurgis Night ballet that serves to torment Faust as a representation of Marguerite endures the taunts from the perfect ballerinas as she dances with a pregnant belly and eventually collapses with contractions and Valentin's corpse comes to life.

FAUST is feast for the senses as Gounod's music is combined with the costumes, sets, dance and drama with nothing held back. In keeping with the bargain Méphistophélès strikes, to give Faust another chance at all of the excess and enjoyment he missed whilst studying for years. Everything, except the moments where Marguerite seeks salvation and lingers in jail, are filled with colour, light, texture and energy. This dark fanciful story is easy to follow from the acting and the music ensuring that the audience does not need more knowledge of the material than the complementary synopsis provided by Opera Australia on arrival and it is not really necessary to refer to the surtitles except to capture the clever quips in the lyrics.

FAUST

Opera Australia

Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

17 February - 13 March 2015

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