Enchantment never wanes in Victorian Opera's revival of Respighi's The Sleeping Beauty

Commissioned by Herald Sun - submitted 23rd February 2021 (unpublished)

One of Victorian Opera’s greatest strengths is its ability to iron out any stiffness in the perception of opera by presenting a range of works that appeal to a broad audience. And children are never forgotten. 

Nadine Dimitrievitch and Vincent Crowley
as dancers of the Princess and the Prince 

Originally written in 1921 for the puppet theatre, Respighi’s The Sleeping Beauty is another such example. Reviving the piece after its 2017 company premiere, it’s a compact and magical theatrical treat. It’s also an illuminating work in a time when live performance is navigating its way to a new beginning. 

Centre stage are the larger than life puppets designed and crafted by Joe Blanck and manoeuvred by puppeteers dressed in black. Mostly in black too are the singers, who deftly shadow their crafted counterpart in Nancy Black’s thoughtfully integrated direction. 

In the storytelling, if you wondered why in heaven’s name a curse by the Green Fairy was put on the infant princess, there is perhaps a hint in an early line from a trio of comic gangly frogs exclaiming that an approaching man would skin them alive. Suggesting human and nature’s complicated relationship and that man must learn his place in it, nature never fails to return hope, which the Blue Fairy gives back. It feels relevant to our times, or do we search for relevance because of the circumstance we exist in? An impressive ensemble certainly aided that possibility.

Cast of The Sleeping Beauty featuring puppets of
the King, the Blue Fairy and the Queen

Puppeteer Nadine Dimitrievitch dances out the grown up Princess with poise as Georgia Wilkinson sings with a rich and elegant tone. Waking her up from her slumber, puppeteer Vincent Crowley makes priceless leaps and bounds on an obstacle course getting to the castle while Carlos E. Bárcenas is his ever-trusty nimble tenor. But so much more happens before all that.

Raphael Wong and Dimity Shepherd imbue the King and Queen with heft and subtlety. Shepherd also gives animated amusement to the mangy Cat. There is the weary old Ambassador given towering voice to by Michael Lampard. Kathryn Radcliffe cuts the air with florid turns and crystalline beauty as the Blue Fairy. Juel Riggall is a memorably threatening Green Fairy and Liane Keegan is a foundation-firm compliment to the Old Lady and opportunistic Duchess, as is Stephen Marsh’s resonant and oaky Woodcutter.

To Respighi’s eclectic and entertaining mix, Phoebe Briggs conducted a polished Orchestra Victoria with delicateness and grit. Only the prolonged pauses between scenes while the cast took their places distracted from the experience. But the enchantment never waned. 

The Sleeping Beauty

Victorian Opera 

Palais Theatre 

Until 26th February 

4-stars

Production Photos: Jeff Busby