The Opera Locos at The Peacock Theatre offers a unique mix of classic opera with comedy and even clownery. Created by the Spanish theatre company Yllada, this show sees the five classic opera voices as five misfits, performing a series of funny scenes together.
The plot of the show is quite simple and follows a few romantic interests of characters in one another. Enacted through pantomime, the scenes are connected with big musical numbers, centred around the big opera hits, including Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s La Boèhme and Madama Butterfly, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Bizet’s Carmen. There are elements of modern pop songs by the likes of Mika, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Priestly, Elton John and U2 too, but the opera is the main musical component of the show.
The numbers by the male characters – a macho baritone Enrique (Enrique Sánchez-Ramos), a worn-out tenor with a glorious past Alfredo (Jesús Álvarez), and a pop-loving counter-tenor Franelli (Michaël Koné) – feel stronger and more convincing than the female acts. The gentlemen get the chance to focus on the pieces they perform and manage to separate comic parts from the singing. The ladies always are in characters, which leads to their solos being more pitchy and abrupt.
The Opera Locos has its ups and downs with some scenes feeling too comic and distorted with singing turning into mockery of the opera. However, the main goal here is to make classic opera more accessible and relatable for regular audience members, who may feel intimidated by lengthy classics. They get to enjoy all the most popular opera arias and duos in one show, performed masterfully. While we may not have world-leading opera singers on stage here, the cast has well-trained, experienced singers. They manage to perform complex parts while dancing or enacting funny scenes.
Audience participation is a large part of the show. From the block in the first act titled «Opera Masterclass» by Enrique Sánchez-Ramos, where the audience members are invited to sing along with him to wild Carmen’s (Mayca Teba) search for the date among the front row guests are brilliant comedy pieces.
The staging is simple yet efficient, with smoke and lights playing a big part in setting the mood for each scene. The costumes and make-up are eccentric, as typical for physical comedy, with each character’s archetype communicated through their appearance.
The Opera Locos at The Peacock Theatre is a funny and light-hearted show that mixes opera with physical comedy and adds a dash of pop hits and audience participation to keep it lively. Running at 1.5 hours including an interval, it’s a short show that could be a perfect alternative to a cabaret. Beware if you adore classic opera or hate clowns, but go for it if you looking for something new.
The Opera Locos is at Peacock Theatre until 11th May 2024
