Opera Theatre Company: Acis & Galatea (Handel)

Acis, Galatea and Polyphemus - image courtesy of Opera Theatre Company

Acis and Galatea, a masque by George Frideric Handel [1718], libretto by John Gay and others

Touring production by Opera Theatre Company, given at Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry, Co. Down, on 20 June 2009

Cast: Nicola Mulligan (Galatea), Dean Power (Acis), Gavan Ring (Polyphemus), Aoife O’Connell & Christina Whyte (Nymphs) & Ciaran Kelly (Swain)

Accompanied and lead by Andrew Synnott (piano).  Production designed by David Craig and directed by Annilese Miskimmon.

Opera Theatre Company continued its year-long tribute to Handel with Acis & Galatea, in a touring production that wended its way through Northern Ireland in June (after its sold-out opening in Dublin in April) and which will also form part of OTC’s programme for Blackstairs Opera in Kilkenny Castle and Russborough House later in the summer.  This pastoral masque began life as a summer entertainment for Handel’s patron, before its popularity spawned newer and bigger adaptations (by Handel himself in 1732, and later Mozart), but this production clearly aimed more to recapture the homespun simplicity of the first, country-house version that Handel had originally put on at his patron’s home back in the summer of 1718.

There was much to enjoy here, from the straightforward set design (four giant polystyrene mountains for the performers to scamper around) to the infectious enjoyment of the singers themselves.  This was a very young cast, and indeed with all but one (Christina Whyte) still studying at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, this could have been classed as a student production.  Clearly this follows on from director Annalise Miskimmon’s work with RIAM students earlier this year when she directed their production of Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, and it’s funny to reflect on how relationships between the professional companies and conservatories here seem to ebb and flow – just a few years ago all the talk was of Opera Ireland’s collaboration with the DIT Conservatory, and now it seems the pendulum has swung the opposite way completely.  Rather than pushing young voices onto mainstream repertoire, however (as the DIT Opera Studio tended to do), here the balance between voices and material was appropriate.  There was very occasionally some roughness of both tone and ensemble, but nothing significant.  The star of the evening was most definitely the Galatea of soprano Nicola Mulligan, who combined an easy stage presence with a warmth and clarity of tone, drawing the audience to her in a way you don’t often get with such a young singer.  Dean Power as Acis was an enthusiastic and energetic performer, while Gavan Ring’s Polyphemus showed real promise, and I’d say we’ll be hearing more from all three.

What was also gratifying was simply the opportunity to see an imaginatively staged pastoral.  The influence of pastoral dramas (especially Tasso’s Aminta, Guarini’s Il Pastor Fido and D’Urfé’s Astrée) were central to the early development of opera – and romantic stories generally – but they’ve tended to be ignored or misunderstood for the past century or so.  I’m not predicting a comeback any time soon, but who knows?