Time flies when you’re having fun, and that’s certainly true of Opera Australia’s The Barber of Seville which opened last night.

At two hours and 45 minutes, this revival of Elijah Moshinsky’s 1995 production – an homage to the silent movie era and Buster Keaton in particular – is definitely worth the price of entry, providing a rollicking good time and leaving you wanting more.

This is thanks to the finely tuned performances of the entire company led by Samuel Dale Johnson making his OA mainstage debut, revival director Heather Fairbairn’s comedic flair, and a superb reading of the score by the Opera Australia Orchestra under Daniel Smith.

John Longmuir as Count Almaviva and Samuel Dale Johnson as Figaro in The Barber of Seville. Photo © Keith Saunders

From the opening fanfare of the overture, the contrasting staccato of the strings and legato response from the woodwinds, conductor Daniel Smith has us in the palm of his hand, resurrecting the magic that emanated from the same pit 45 years ago, when the late great Stuart Challender conducted the first Barber this writer saw.

Smith’s conducting may be animated, but it’s never rushed. He patiently lets...