When Phelim McDermott’s spectacular funfair production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte opened at the London Coliseum in 2014 the consensus was that while it was a joy to look at, it was too keen to skate over the disturbing cruelties that lurk within the piece. Eight years on, the world has moved into an altogether darker place, with quite enough cruelty of its own, so keeping it light and frothy suddenly seems an altogether more attractive option.
This co-production with McDermott’s endlessly inventive “skills ensemble” Improbable brings all the fun of the fair springing on to the stage right from the overture. Fire-eaters, strong men, acrobats and contortionists produce playful placards that tell us that there will be big arias in this story of love and betrayal, so please concentrate – in other words, we are not taking this too seriously.
