Review: LA BOHÈME, Opera Holland Park

Puccini’s masterpiece La bohème combines friendship, passion and tragedy to create one of the world’s most popular operas. Having been staged so many times, there is an understandable temptation to alter the setting, but does it work or is it change for change's sake? 

Natascha Metherell’s production for Opera Holland Park replaces the snow of 1830’s Paris with the heat of a 1950s Italian film set where film, La Vie Parisienne, is being shot. Rodolfo becomes an aspiring scriptwriter, Marcello, Schaunard and Colline all work in the industry and Mimì is a wardrobe assistant. 

Having worked in TV and film, it’s hard to believe in a film set running at full pelt on Christmas Eve, but we can put this aside due to some fantastic singing. Katie Bird is a gorgeously refined Mimì, showing a sweetly shy chemistry with Adam Gilbert’s emotionally tormented Rodolfo. Their soaring love duet at the end of Act 1 showcases a beautifully realised top C from Bird.

Elizabeth Karani is a wonderfully aloof and superior Musetta, oozing confidence and authority. Harry Thatcher’s Schaunard, Ross Ramgobin's Marcello and Barnaby Rea’s Colline all give emotionally charged performances and the relationship between all the friends feels warm and genuine.

George Jackson conducts the City of London Sinfonia with real delicacy, bringing out the exquisite emotion and rousing moments well. Opera Holland Park’s chorus adds depth, along with the children’s choruses from the Pimlico Musical Foundation and Tiffin Choirs.

However, apart from the setting, the main issue with the production is the staging. There is little use made of the curved part of stage in front of the orchestra, so the action feels too far away to be intimate and the projection of some of the cast’s voices suffers because of it.

The chorus acts as film extras and crew, often on stage. This works well in adding interest and action for the exuberant Café Momus scene, but reduces the necessary intimacy in some other scenes.

Mimì’s demise is stripped back, with just the key cast members ensconced in the apartment and is ultimately more successful. But the final scene, with the chorus wandering on to watch Mimì’s death, feels distracting and unnecessarily voyeuristic.

Madeleine Boyd’s design is detailed and opulent, especially impressive in the thoughtful costumes. Careful lighting by Charlie Morgan Jones cannot convey any coldness, but tries to create more focused zones.

It's a pleasure to hear Puccini's work performed with such emotion and skill, but sometimes it is best to let that be the focus.

La bohème is at Opera Holland Park until 5 August

Photo Credit: Craig Fuller

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