A Handel opera first performed at Covent Garden in 1735 - now back again after a 285 year wait! Semi-staged and acted out, it is part pantomime (woman dressed as a man but singing like a woman); part musical before musicals were invented (characters speak-sing to move the action on and sing about the plot) and part #MeToo before #MeToo was a thing as the female singers let rip with emotive gusto. Then there is the Daniel Craig lookalike singing really high and really enjoying being a villain.
I've seen too much Verdi and high Victorian melodrama - this never goes the way I expect it to. The father (King of Scotland) enters the scene as boy (Ariodante) has met girl (Giverna), proposed and they are happily singing about their married love to be. I am ready to boo the Dad as I think he will stop the nuptials and make his daughter marry evil Daniel Craig (Polinesso) instead. But no, it is a easy; Dad is thrilled and tells his daughter to hurry up with getting ready for the wedding - again I think a trick, surely he will now tell his son-in-law-to-be that he's dumped and call in evil high singing Daniel Craig. But no! he's a happy and proud father in law... Ginevra's maid (Dalinda) is in love with evil operatic Daniel Craig, who dupes her into impersonating her mistress in front of Giverna's husband, who is shaken and stirred and fooled into thinking that his wife is unfaithful, as is his father-in-law. Everyone thinks Ariodante is dead for a time having killed himself, then there's a honour battle for Ginerva - bizarrely and ironically evil smoking hot operatic Craig is defending her honour. What a villain - he besmirched it! Randomly the Craig staggers off abruptly and dies offstage, then surprise... Ariodante 'himself' enters to defend Ginerva, and prevent her dad from dying in this honour off, (which is what I was expecting - once again, wrong!!!)
Fantastic sparkly, velvety evening gowns, stunning singing, nicely acted out with nuanced performances from Gerald Finley, passionate gusto from Chen Reiss, guilty conscience from Dalinda, and Iestyn Davies relishing being evil and manipulating. Somehow everyone got onto the stage at a social distance at the end for a sing off! Acted throughout (at a distance); very psychological and moving with its emotional depth and a subplot involving Dalinda not being interested in Lurcanio because she's more into the evil operatic overlord Craig ends happily. Plus some great tunes showing affection between father and daughter, and father and son-in-law.
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