Review: ACIS AND GALATEA, Opera Holland Park

A phenomenally endearing production, Opera Holland Park’s staging of Handel’s beloved Acis and Galatea is a smashing success that finds just the right balance between musical finesse and tongue-in-cheek comedy.

While modest in scale, featuring a cast of merely four plus the ensemble, this pastoral opera enjoys great success to this day, partly by featuring some of Handel’s finest music, but also by merit of the heavily self-ironic plot. It follows the shepherd Acis (Anthony Gregory) and nymph Galatea (Elizabeth Karani) who are deeply in love, until jealous cyclops Polyphemus (Chuma Sijeqa) catches on. Fellow-shepherd Damon (Ruairi Bowen) attempts to solve the conflict peacefully, but Polyphemus cannot help himself and finally murders Acis in cold blood. Galatea, however, uses her powers to transform Acis into a fountain.

Is it silly? Naturally, but that’s the point. While the humour in the characters Polyphemus and Damon is obvious - such as Damon wandering around giving Polyphemus advice on how to woo or Polyphemus’s feeble attempts at doing so - there is also plenty of irony in the overly happy depiction of the love story and the pathos Acis and Galatea ooze from every pore. 

Director Louise Bakker’s production plays right to the opera’s strengths. All characters are dressed in ridiculously over-the-top period outfits by Alyson Cummins, featuring sheep costumes, a giant eye on Polyphemus’s head, and other bits of ridiculousness. Merry Holden’s choreography, meanwhile, is hilarious; there is almost always movement on stage when the music calls for it, depicted comically to undermine or overly emphasise certain passages or to fall into quiet poses reminiscent of Renaissance paintings in quieter, reflective moments.

Musically, the singing is always top-notch. Anthony Gregory’s Acis is soft and lyrical, bringing a youthful sound to the wide-eyed hero of the story. Elizabeth Karani’s Galatea is powerful with a strong, soothing voice that beautifully carries the emotion throughout. Chuma Sijeqa’s Polyphemus dominates the stage with his presence whenever he is on and has a deep, majestic bass that hooks from the start. Ruairi Bowen delivers Damon smoothly with a beautiful timbre that never ceases to amaze.

The City of London Sinfonia is conducted by Michael Papadopoulos who displays an acute sense for the music and conjures the best out of the small ensemble, making the entire opera marvellous to listen to. It’s not surprising that the enthusiastic audience bursts into roaring applause at the end - a spectacular execution.

Acis and Galatea is at Opera Holland Park until 2August 2024. 

Photo Credit: Ali Wright

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