Not so long ago, Così Fan Tutte seemed full of pitfalls. On the surface Mozart and Da Ponte’s opera is full of cynicism, cruelty and outdated sexual politics: if a production skates over these, isn’t that a cop-out? Now, though – and this week in particular – you could argue that Phelim McDermott’s 2014 ENO staging lands as something of a relief, serving up those issues with a witty garnish and presenting them as sheer entertainment.
The overture sets up what’s to come: in front of a lamé curtain, 12 circus performers unfold themselves one by one from a trunk, carrying placards promising Lust! Intrigue! Big Arias! This staging has its tongue firmly in its cheek from the start. The setting is Coney Island in the 1950s: Act 1 is Happy Days meets motel farce, thanks to the nimbly rotating walls of Tom Pye’s set, with Guglielmo and Ferrando channelling the Fonz in their disguises.
