The Marriage of Figaro - English Touring Opera

Norwich Theatre Royal

The English Touring Opera certainly did justice to arguably Mozart's greatest opera last night.

From the first note struck up by a polished orchestra to the rich notes of the well-known arias, the twists and turns of the plot captured the audience from start to finish.

As well as musical finesse by the singers, the parts were played with engaging acting and the nuances of a witty plot were delivered with comic timing.

There was certainly laughter echoing around the theatre.

Eliana Pretorian was a cheeky and playful Susanna and Robert Davies was a convincing Figaro.

But Laura Mitchell, who played Countess Almaviva, was the star of the show. It was a spellbinding scene in the second act where she had a frank exchange with her husband.

Nicholas Lester, who played Count Almaviva, was a believable villain.

The period costume added to an all-round charming performance.

The simple set certainly tran-sported the audience to the estate of Aguas Frescas in Southern Spain - although the garden scene at the end could have been more believable.

I certainly think the full house would have agreed that it was a happy marriage between Mozart and director James Conway.