The Rose and the Ring at The Charterhouse: How to enjoy country opera within the Square Mile
The Rose and The Ringw | The Charterhouse | ★★★★★
Country-house opera is a peculiar experience. You dress up, park your car on a rich Englishman’s estate, drink champagne and have a picnic, all the while being immersed in the operatic experience. The Charterhouse hosted a City-based version last week with a riotous production of William Makepeace Thackeray’s The Rose and the Ring.
Written as a play for his young daughters in the 18th century, it’s a story of morality, war, romance and vanity, with a fairy godmother thrown in for good measure – but rest assured, Nicholas Jackson’s operatic adaptation of this piece of children’s literature stands up to a mature audience.
The story centres on a ring with the power to render its wearer irresistible, initially worn by the superficial Princess Angelica. Resolving to break her engagement to the handsome, stupid and rich Giglio, the ring changes hands from ugly countess to romantic lead.
Though the lack of physical space in the Charterhouse's great room poses a challenge, the cast acquitted themselves admirably, proving more than equal to the challenging vocal roles. Tim Pigott-Smith of Downton Abbey fame played compere for the night, narrating key details of the plot and throwing in some deftly-timed gags. But it was Prince Giglio, played by tenor William Moran, who stole the show; the passion he displayed after his arrival in scene three had a palpable effect on the rest of the cast.
With characters like the fat Prince Bulbo, the ugly Countess Gruffy and the trigger-happy Captain Hedzoff, The Rose and the Ring is more pantomime than restoration comedy, but it’s the best one you’ll see in May.