Melania Trump is a puzzle. What goes on underneath the I-want-to-be-alone headwear and dark glasses? Is she knowingly mysterious, or simply an empty vessel making no noise whatsoever? Does she have any power, or is she mere window-dressing for her husband? Does she have what it takes to become an operatic heroine? And if she has, will it be tragedy or comedy?
A bit of both, as it turns out. Melania: The Opera is written (both words and music) by Jeremy Limb and Melinda Hughes, with additional text by US comedian Rich Hall. It’s receiving its premiere as part of Tête à Tête, the annual festival of new, nearly new and not-quite-ready-yet operas: you never know what you’re going to get and that’s part of the appeal. The festival is ambitious by any standards – 16 operas in two weeks – but not lavishly funded, so bare-bones stagings and tiny ensembles are de rigueur.
