The Makropulos Affair – Festival Theatre

As ever, Scottish Opera delivers sumptuous sets, great lighting, singers who can act, and a wonderful orchestra that never disappoints, but this English rendition of The Makropulos Affair, by Leoš Janàček jarred my senses with its modern-day, casual lexicon.  Words, such as F*ck somehow don’t marry comfortably with the impassioned, heightened music and traditional, elegant, and beautiful costumes.

It was, no doubt, a deliberate choice.

Creating a grating cacophonous lexicon – the use of brutal Viking words rather than those of Latin derivatives gives the opera an earthy groundedness – and caused me a headache. I wanted to lose my sense of reality for an hour or two. I was denied the option. Single syllables and short sentences (translation by David Pountney) reflect the sheer ennui, the reckless psychopathy that living for centuries, losing loved ones, experiencing repetitive negative patterns, and knowing for sure that women suffer endlessly: that knowledge eliminates the blossoming fecundity of language and love in Janàček’s world-weary heroine, Emilia Marty. 

So solid, unromantic and blunt word choice works.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performances, including Thorbjørn Gulbrandsøy who did a sterling job standing in for Ryan Capozzo as Albert Gregor. Roland Wood as Baron Jaroslav Prus has a beautiful voice and his portrayal is believable and humorous. The Stage Technician (Edward Jowle) was a lovely touch. Count Hauk (Alistair Elliott) is a delight. All in all, every player was at their best.

There is comedy to relish and glorious sets that work so well on The Festival Theatre’s expansive stage. Nicola Turner’s designs are spot on and very clever. I loved the use of gauze and brilliant white to symbolise enlightenment, truth and the passage from this muddy world into the next, unknown realm, leaving nothing behind of colour and vibrancy, as life had washed out all colour over the centuries.

Moreover, Sam Sharples’ (video designer) projections are moody, suggestive, uncompromising and intrusive. It is an excellent adjunct to the rousing music (Martin Brabbins – conductor) and the high-pitched cynicism and desperation of soprano, Orla Boylan.

Symbolism featured large and worked superbly for a story about eternal life – or at least an exceedingly extended one! In today’s world where science is exploring longevity, this theme is topical.

If you are looking for a version of this Opera that challenges you intellectually; asks you to question the purpose of life and suggests that you hope you never live 300-plus years, this one’s for you!

Reviewer: Kathleen Mansfield

Reviewed: 27th February 2025

North West End UK Rating: