Opera North’s new production of The Marriage of Figaro begins with a quietly touching prologue: during the overture, we’re shown the early romance between the Count and Countess, blooming with promise before gradually cooling. The changing of flowers marks the passing seasons, and alongside this gentle unravelling we see the spark between Figaro and Susanna — their relationship building towards engagement. It’s a deft and atmospheric device, grounding Mozart’s whirlwind comedy in a world shaped by real emotional weather.
Louisa Muller’s staging relocates the action to a contemporary country house — not aristocratic in the Downton sense, but a slightly frayed estate populated by tour guides, cleaners, gardeners, and other staff. In this world, hierarchy isn’t defined by powdered wigs but by job roles. Susanna, rather than a maid, becomes the Countess’s poised, immaculate PA; Figaro, meanwhile, functions more like the Count’s capable chief‑of‑staff, managing logistics and smoothing over domestic crises. It’s a surprisingly natural fit for the opera’s class tensions: where Mozart wrote servants and masters, Muller gives us employees and employers, their proximity breeding both loyalty and resentment.
Madeleine Boyd’s design underlines this brilliantly, particularly Figaro’s bachelor‑flat‑cum‑games‑room sitting cheek by jowl with a soft, pastel‑toned nursery space — the characters’ divide literalised. The Countess’s pregnancy adds a fresh emotional layer: her Act II “Porgi, amor” becomes not only a lament for lost love but a quiet plea for familial stability. Gabriella Reyes sings it with pathos and control, her dignity never slipping into fragility.
Hera Hyesang Park’s Susanna is a revelation — composed, witty, and vocally radiant. As a modern PA, she feels entirely believable: brisk with her tasks, sharp-eyed, and navigating the household’s tensions with professional grace. Liam James Karai’s Figaro matches her with warmth and presence, his bass‑baritone firm and expressive. Together, they make an unusually equal partnership, both emotionally and socially — an interesting shift from traditional productions.
Musically, the evening is buoyant. Valentina Peleggi conducts with fizz and clarity, letting Mozart’s score dance without losing its emotional undercurrents. The Act II and Act IV ensembles — some of the most intricate and delightful in all opera — are staged with precision and real comic verve. There were occasional ensemble slips, but they felt minor within such a lively, characterful staging.
James Newby’s Count is a man sliding towards chaos rather than a swaggering predator — frazzled, distracted, and vaguely aware that his authority is leaking away. It’s a human, even contemporary reading. The wider company of estate staff adds texture and humour, their presence reminding us that Figaro’s antics ripple through an entire working household, not just a handful of nobles.
This Figaro doesn’t aim to shock; instead, it refreshes with intelligence and charm. By situating the story within a recognisably modern workplace hierarchy — complete with PAs, managers, and domestic employees — Opera North reveals just how timeless its themes remain: power, desire, loyalty, and the hope that love might still carry the day. It’s engaging, emotionally true, and full of life — a Figaro for now.
Figaro is performed at Leeds Grand Theatre, Theatre Royal, Nottingham, Lowry, Salford Quays, Newcastle Theatre Royal, and Hull New Theatre. More details and dates https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/the-marriage-of-figaro/
Reviewer: Mark Humphreys
Reviewed: 30th January 2026
North West End UK Rating: