The tragic outline of Verdi’s middle-period masterpiece is well-known: Rigoletto, the hunchback jester, takes callous pleasure in mocking the members of the Duke of Mantua’s court whose wives and daughters are the victims of the Duke’s insatiable lust. However, when the Duke’s attentions turn to Rigoletto’s own daughter, Gilda, the curse of the humiliated nobleman Monterone is realised when she is the unintended victim of Rigoletto’s thirst for vengeance. This dual nature of Rigoletto’s character – that of the cruel jester and loving father – is the irresistible contradiction that makes it possible to feel both contempt and pity at his predicament. 

In Irish National Opera’s production, this tragic arc was allowed to unfold without attempts ‘to freeze the past or clumsily force the present’ as director Julien Chavaz put it in his programme notes. Both he and set designer Jamie Varten chose a historically neutral staging but decked it out with symbols of the Italian Renaissance, in particular the famous Commedia dell’arte theatre of the period. This was most noticeable in the puffy harlequin costumes and the motif of the Venetian long-nose mask – a symbol of both carnival revelry and death. This beak-like shape recurred throughout the production, metamorphosing into the dangling sleeves of a jester’s hat in the backdrop or being donned by the chorus during the abduction scene. Such subtle associations underscored the typically Verdian concoction of the tragic and the comic without overtly intruding on the drama. 

Like INO’s production of Rossini’s William Tell two years ago, Chavaz’s fingerprints were most evident in his direction of the chorus. Although its role in Rigoletto is peripheral to the central plot, his insistence on constant movement combined with Nicole Morel’s deft choreography saw the chorus writhe, jive, bend and twist in perfect sync with the music. Their ability to adapt to the prevailing sentiment highlighted the idea of the ‘crowd’ as enabler – just as every jester needs an audience, every tyrant needs his henchmen. 

Of course, a production of Verdi’s opera would be nothing without excellent performances from the principal trio of Rigoletto, Gilda and the Duke of Mantua. The American baritone Michael Chioldi was excellent as Rigoletto, shaping his declamatory lines with musicality and imbuing his character with the indispensable pathos that is a key element of the role. Although she may not have the biggest voice, the sweet, rounded tone of soprano Soraya Mafi made her a perfect Gilda and she comfortably handled technical challenges such as the coloratura aria ‘Caro nome che il mio cor’.

Michael Chioldi and Soraya Mafi (Photo: Pat Redmond)

From our enlightened perspective, the Duke of Mantua may be a deeply problematic character, but he just so happens to be the primary purveyor of operatic buffo humour, a fact underlined by Verdi assigning him the work’s most enduring arias. Uzbek tenor Bekhzod Davronov’s comic acting ability shone throughout his performance and his delivery of the big numbers was impeccable. Of the secondary roles, Niamh O’Sullivan revelled as the sultry Maddalena, baritone Phillip Rhodes was an authoritative Count Monterone while the deep, gravelly voice of Julian Close suited the menacing assassin Sparafucile.

Niamh O’Sullivan and Julian Close (Photo: Pat Redmond)

The opera’s culmination in Act III was superbly coordinated. The wooden structure that functioned as Rigoletto and Gilda’s claustrophobic house in Act I reappeared symmetrically from the opposite side of the stage as the house of Sparafucile, the place where Gilda ultimately meets her fate. While the thunderstorm raged, lighting designer Rick Fisher’s border – which framed the stage from the outset – came into its own with several sharp flashes of light before a blood-red hue descended on proceedings. The brilliance of these effects was starkly juxtaposed with the bare staging of the final scene.

With Verdi’s fondness for ‘um-pah-pah’ rhythms, George Bernard Shaw once quipped that the composer treated the orchestra like one large guitar and it is true that the orchestration may not be Rigoletto’s most interesting feature. However, choosing the correct tempo is everything and conductor Fergus Sheil kept the pace moving to good dramatic effect. In any case, the finer details of Verdi’s orchestration tended to get lost in the Bord Gáis’s woefully inadequate orchestra pit.

Indeed, it’s not just the musicians who have to put up with the theatre’s shortcomings. Visiting opera enthusiasts from abroad must surely be baffled by the lack of such basic amenities as a functioning cloakroom in the depths of winter, not to mention the absence of a decent buffet for refreshments. 

Pints, Pringles and overpriced wine may be the peculiar delicacies of a Dublin night at the opera, but prospective punters can rest assured that the on-stage action was of a very high quality. With a terrific leading cast and deft direction, it was hard to find much fault with this production by INO who have delivered yet another imaginative interpretation of an opera classic.

INO’s Rigoletto is running at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre until Saturday 7 December. Visit www.irishnationalopera.ie.

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