The Daughter of the Regiment, Grange Park Opera review ★★★★★

Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment demands acrobatic voices reaching the top notes and lashings of comedy, and both are on display in the new production at Grange Park Opera, jointly directed by John Doyle and Nikki Wollaston. A strong cast, topped by British-American coloratura soprano Julia Sitkovetsky and Maltese tenor Nico Darmanin, bring out the beauty and the absurdity of this tale, a French opera written by an Italian composer and here sung in English.

Sitkovetsky is on top form, her voice effortlessly leaping around while maintaining excellent clarity. She has made a name for herself singing the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute, in numerous opera houses. (On social media she hinted that that role might make a tiny cameo – spoiler alert, it does – which adds to the fun.)

There was none of that queen’s haughtiness here: Sitkovetsky plays Marie, a foundling adopted by a French regiment in the Napoleonic wars, but that powerful voice makes itself heard even above the assembled chorus of soldiers.

Sergeant Sulpice (Enrico Marabelli) and Marie (Julia Sitkovetsky). Photo: Marc Brenner

Darmanin, playing her lover, Tonio, rises to the double challenge of matching Sitkovetsky and singing 'Ah mes amis!', the Mount Everest of arias for tenors, and one that brought international stardom for Pavarotti. The aria ends in a volley of spectacular high Cs, yet Darmanin sounds as if he could easily manage an encore.

As the opera opens, gentle alpine horns set the scene in a Tyrolean pass, where the imperious Marquise of Berkenfield (Anna Steiger) and her redoubtable steward Hortenius (Harry Grant Kerswell) are trying to get back their chateau.

They share the alarm of the local villagers at the presence of the nearby French army, but when the troops appear, they turn out to be the jolly 21st Regiment, complete with their friendly commander Sergeant Sulpice (a very warm-voiced Enrico Marabelli) and Marie, the tomboy 'daughter of the regiment'.

The Duchess of Krakenthorp (Harriet Thorpe) and Grange Park Opera Chorus. Photo: Marc Brenner

When some soldiers bring in a suspected spy, Marie is surprised to see that it is Tonio, a local lad who saved her life. There follows some neatly choreographed marching as Marie tries in vain to break through their ranks and to reach him. It’s one of several moments when the massed ranks of soldiers are cleverly deployed on stage. When the couple declare their love for each other, Sulpice points out that she has promised to marry one of the regiment.

As complications mount, the opening bars of Act 2 take us to the more elegant surroundings of the Marquise’s chateau (design by Doyle himself, costumes by Gabrielle Dalton), the Gascoigne Orchestra under Claire Levacher playing to a very high standard. When a more socially acceptable marriage for Marie is arranged, there follows the delightful comedy of a world-class soprano purposefully singing excruciatingly badly, a challenge to which Sitkovetsky rises superbly.

There is more pure comedy, as guests with absurd names are announced for the engagement party, including the Duchess of Krakenthorp , a non-singing comic role played to great effect by Harriet Thorpe, flouncing in and then having a little flirtation with Sulpice. Marie, having discovered her own true parentage, consents to marry the duchess’s son.

But Tonio need not worry, nor need the audience: this is Donizetti, Everyone goes home happy...

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The Daughter of the Regiment is sung in English with English surtitles. Further performances are on 13, 19, 30 June; 4, 6 July