Google tells me it takes about 17 muscles to activate a genuine smile. It was, therefore, a smashing facial workout when, for well over two hours, it was smiles from start to finish at the opening of Melbourne Opera’s special production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte.
Showcasing the extraordinary talents of emerging and developing artists of the Richard Divall Program in a simple yet spirited staging, the work finds both sparkle and sincerity under Program Director Suzanne Chaundy’s direction.
The story follows two young sisters whose soldier fiancés, egged on by the sly philosopher Don Alfonso, decide to test their lovers’ fidelity. Disguised as flamboyant “Albanians”, they flirt with each other’s partners, only to discover that love, loyalty and temptation are trickier to control than imagined.
Chaundy sets this two-act work as a period piece rom-com in the vein of Bridgerton – uncluttered, eye-pleasing costumes, minimal fuss and a sharp focus on character action and interplay are its hallmarks. All the while, Chaundy and her uber-passionate cast reach into the comic aspects with brilliantly entertaining results.
Here, it’s “Women v. Fidelity” in bold letters on Don Alfonso’s board but contemporary intellects should see past the plot’s ever-present misogynistic tone. In that sense, Chaundy provoked with the preposterousness of women being just above dogs and worms in Don Alfonso’s hierarchy – of course, with men at the top of the pyramid. In this School for Lovers, her women learn a thing or two as well, including the eroticisms of The Kama Sutra which their worldly maid Despina happily presents them with.
Even amongst the overwhelming farce, which often spills out and through the audience, Chaundy allows emotional aspects to make their mark while drawing out a gentle portrait of innocence lost and forgiveness hard-won.
Conductor Raymond Lawrence led the musical side with steady assurance at Thursday’s opening, his unhurried pacing allowing Mozart’s phrases to breathe. Importantly, both audience and young artists enjoyed the luxury of a 16-piece ensemble who played with care and colour.
Mozart’s luminous score and Lorenzo da Ponte’s knowing libretto remain a perfect match, and they are delivered with overall clarity and charm in an English libretto by Ruth and Thomas Martin with a splash of amusing updates.
The ensemble work – always a test of chemistry – is especially tight, the harmonies clean and balanced throughout with a raft of musically sublime opportunities that shine like gems. By the time Act I’s farewell quintet, I feel, oh God, that my foot is reluctant, comes to an end, there is no doubt that the musical, vocal and expressive power of the work is in secure hands.
As the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, sopranos Livia Brash (alternate cast Breanna Stuart) and Sidra Nissen make a wonderfully complementary pair. Their opening duet, Ah look sister, set an inviting tone, sung with warmth and grace.
Brash’s lush, full-bodied soprano of impressive range brings strength and vulnerability to Fiordiligi’s moral struggles, particularly remarkable in the poise and affecting rendition of Act II’s, Please, my beloved, forgive. Nissen’s Dorabella, more impulsive and playful, is equally persuasive, her pliant soprano colouring every phrase with easy charm – a triumphant step to a bright future with this, her first solo role.
There’s copious parading from baritone Hartley Trusler as Guglielmo and tenor Joshua Erdeyli-Götz as Ferrando (alternate cast Cen Wei) who share easy camaraderie as the duplicitous lovers. Both perform with confident stage presence and natural comic timing.
Trusler renders Guglielmo with charisma, swagger and flexibility both vocally and physically (the first time I’ve seen Guglielmo doing the splits) while Erdeyli-Götz’s warm, lyrical tenor carried real tenderness fused with earnestness alongside the wild eccentricity in his disguise as an aesthete.
Flamboyantly grand and hilarious to boot, bass Henry Shaw paints a meaty portrait of Don Alfonso as a manipulative sort tempered by disillusionment. Shaw’s authoritative presence and eloquent, molten vocals perfectly capture his character’s essence while anchoring the more chaotic moments excellently.
Soprano Heulen Cynfal (alternate cast Uma Dobia) proved a fun and cheeky delight as Despina – a bright-voiced charmer exhibiting a glorious upper register that carries through to her rather exaggerated, squeakily voiced disguises as a quack and notary.
Così fan tutte can easily come across as cynical or outdated in its view of love and gender, but this production embraced its contradictions without apology.
It’s a beautifully sung, well-paced production that reminds us why this School for Lovers remains such a perfect work over two centuries on with its mix of beauty, wit and heartbreak that still feels strikingly human. Here, it is revealed with warmth, intelligence and hilarity you’ll want to feel again and again.
Così fan tutte
Athenaeum Theatre 2, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 30 October 2025
Season continues to 9 November 2025
Information and Bookings: www.melbourneopera.com
Images: Melbourne Opera Richard Divall Program presents Così fan tutte – photos by Robin Halls