Warwick Fyfe’s hunch-backed sociopathic jester heads a fine cast in this new production of Verdi’s classic.

State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne

April 12, 2014

From conductor, Renato Palumbo’s initial downbeat, this new OA production of Verdi’s 1851 masterpiece – replacing the much-loved and well-trodden production by Elijah Moshinsky – was a tour-de-force at opening night in Melbourne. Based on Victor Hugo’s Le roi s’amuse (1832) the plot and dramatic structure of Rigoletto is simultaneously sordid and electrifyingly absorbing with its overtones of excess, lasciviousness and its explorations of underlying psychological familial trauma.

Whilst an inspirational gift for a theatrical composer of Verdi’s stature, this dichotomy of dramatic intent places unprecedented demands upon singers – and completely dispels the notion in contemporary opera production that opera artists don’t also have to be fine actors! If you want to see real drama-in-action, go and see this production and marvel at Warwick Fyfe’s interpretation of Verdi’s eponymous buffoon.

Fyfe’s hunch-backed jester is a controlled study in sociopathic behaviour, partially ameliorated by his ingenuous, albeit stlfling, love for his daughter Gilda. It has a detached coldness about it that is mesmerising to watch unfold over two-and-a-half hours. The interpretation is a courageous choice, which pays off...