I’ve heard it said that Swindon is a cultural desert, but if last night’s performance (27 June 2008) of Carmen by Swindon Opera is anything to go by, the tag is looking very dated indeed! Carmen marked a spectacular and welcome return of a rejuvenated Swindon Opera to the Wyvern Theatre. And I do mean rejuvenated: the publicity for this production made much of the fact that it was a “young and exciting cast” and the energy and vibrancy, so essential for Carmen, was evident from the start. The team at Swindon Opera deserve a huge pat on the back for this production. Director Maria Jagusz produced a visually stunning Carmen and the cast really brought it to life. There was ample attention to detail with background vignettes enhancing the splendidly rich and colourful texture of the main action and this was complemented by some high-energy choreography courtesy of Jane Hockaday. Musically too, this was a first-rate production under the musical direction of Malcolm Webb. The orchestra (unlike the original orchestra at the Opera Comique) found the music quite manageable and played with a fine sense of ensemble. There were only a few minor disconnects between orchestra and singers (which considering the frenetic activity on stage was probably to be expected!).

Melanie Lang as Carmen was sizzling, sultry and sexy and more importantly sang and acted the part superbly well – a real tour de force. Aiden Smith was animated and impressive as the toreador, Escamillo and although he sang the part well, I had expected an even bigger voice! Christopher Jacobsen, another import, produced some flashes of brilliance as Don Jose, but never convinced me that he had the passion to commit the ultimate crime passionel. At times too, he fought a losing battle with the orchestra – particularly, it seems, when he was distant from the stage microphones.

Which brings me to amplification. I know that these days, it is not uncommon for even top-rate opera companies to use some amplification and with so many immature voices in the performance, it was probably a wise decision to use it here. Nevertheless, I still lament its necessity particularly as there were times when the audience was treated to some high-pitch feedback and Carmen’s entry in the card trio (“Melons! Coupons!”) suffered from echoing sound which, for me, spoilt what should have been a real highlight. Thankfully the following ensemble (the quintet and chorus ‘Treasure Scene’) proved to be a real gem. The voices were beautifully blended and the scene was elegantly put together with action seamlessly complementing the singing. Indeed, some of the finest moments in this production were delivered by those in the supporting roles such as Frasquita (Leigh Coggins), Le Dancairo (Toby Girling) and Lillas Pastia (Owen Hopkins), Morales (Conor Collins) and especially El Remendado (Carl Malmgren). Malmgren had a stage presence like no other – almost stealing every scene in which he appeared. A “natural” on stage, he seemed totally immersed in his role and so very watchable - and his voice was also superb. He is currently studying with Adrian Thompson at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama – but his is a name to watch out for in future! Emma Noakes played the long-suffering Micaela with real poignancy and her aria in Act III, was beautifully delivered.

With so much imported talent on show, Swindon Opera may have lost some of its “local appeal” but the mix was an undoubted success – and on this occasion, Carmen was a clever choice of opera, with its children’s chorus and dancers undoubtedly attracting a “friends and family” audience element, many of whom were possibly newcomers to opera. The dancers added a certain vibrancy and colour to the production but facial expressions were all a bit fixed even in some of the wilder, exciting dances. It was pleasing to see some local talent being show-cased too and all deserve a special mention: Catherine Welch (a Swindon Opera regular) played a wonderfully vexed Manuelita, Neil Gray was an impressively authoritative Zuniga and Michelle Williams made a haughtily flirtatious Mercedes. The young bugler, Beatrice Kinsey, also deserves a special mention – she did very well indeed for one so young!

I struggled at times with the diction (I think I probably understood less than fifty percent of the sung words) so it was just as well that I was familiar with the opera! For those new to opera, this must have been a turn-off, but overall, this was a dazzling success for the resurgent Swindon Opera. I just hope that the high level of imported talent and good audience support is sustainable. The unsung heroes of this endeavour are the folk who brought together such a high-octane team. This was without doubt a triumph of note. Well done Swindon Opera!