The Duenna, English Touring Opera, Linbury Studio Theatre

A britch-splitting delight of a comedy heralds the festive season early

by Alexandra CoghlanThursday, 14 October 2010

Adrian Thompson, Richard Suart and Damian Thantrey celebrate 'a bumper of liquor'Robert Workman

Christmas has come early to the Royal Opera House this year. Without a single shout of “He’s behind you!” or even an implausibly-uddered dancing cow, pantomime season is well and truly underway in the form of The Duenna – a corset-straining, britches-splitting, liquor-quaffing delight of a comedy. All of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s familiar wit and whimsy are here, and if they frequently need to pause and sprawl themselves out upon a comfortable melody, then so much the better. What a pity then that the music-making itself is often so uncertain.

It was revenue from The Duenna that supported the Covent Garden Theatre for many year - a mongrel, but as attractive now as ever it was.

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