Rigoletto
Verdi, Piave
Opera North
Lowry, Salford
November 12,14, 2026; 2hrs 30mins
Rigoletto was first performed in 1851, in a misogynistic, male-dominated society that laughed
when powerful men did what they wanted to poor young women. How far we have come from those unenlightened times.
Directed by Nigerian-British Femi Elufowoju Jr, the production replaces the original hunchback with a Black man as it attempts to make explicit the "otherness" of the main character. In this it follows the example of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, so there's quite a significant precedent.
Attempts have been made to resolve the conflict between modern attitudes to disability and accepting the work as a product of its time. Elufowoju sets out to demonstrate the tension inherent in a racially-divided society. But what comes over even more clearly is that every society has its divisions; it is how we manage these that divide the good from the bad.
Listening to Blake Denson in the main role is a bit like eating honey all day: perfection and so good for you. In all aspects of the role, including playing the role of powerful, controlling father, he excels.
Leonardo Sanchez , the other main male lead, has a real presence, and of. course he gets to sing the most popular aria, La Donna e mobile. With Mexican heritage, singing in Italian isn't too difficult for him, but he makes the most of his charm. If I were a young girl and he looked at me with those eyes in church, who knows what might happen?
By comparison, the female leads are a little overshadowed - as you might expect in a play about
misogyny. Alyona Abramova makes a splendid sister to the assassin. All legs and strut, she manages to subvert the masculine nature of that society with her voice and attitude.
In the duets with her father, Jasmine Habersham as Gilda is able to use her smaller voice to great emotional effect.
As always with Opera North, the orchestra demonstrates the value of a permanent ensemble. Under the energetic baton of Patrick Lange the singers reach terrific heights.
The set is, as is almost always the case with this company, a thing of great beauty. Rae Smith does a wonderful job, seemingly including everything (including a stuffed zebra) but the kitchen sink. A particular nod goes to a psychedelic reworking of The Baptism of Pocahontas by John Gadsby Chapman. Collaged over a repeated block pattern, the painting is an unsettlingly gentle image of colonial violence.
In all aspects it’s a great night out. And its good to be reminded that the past is a different country
More info and tickets here
