Offenbach's Le 66

Le 66 is a delightful opportunity to experience comic-opera; a genre that rarely has the opportunity to be seen on stage. This was one of the many operettas by the German-born French composer of the romantic period and it premiered in Paris in July 1856. Ellen Leather plays Grittly and gives a powerful performance as the Tyrolean travelling singer. Her characterisation accurately captures the tone of the narrative. Timothy Daly is charming as Frantz, Grittly’s cousin and fellow travelling singer. Stephen Marsh creates a bold Joseph Berthold, a pedlar the cousins encounter on the road.

The plot has a very simple premise and sees Frantz mistakenly believing he has won an enormous sum of money in the lottery. This leads him to indulge in some extravagances he is not able to afford. Although there are some amusing comic sparks throughout the show, the performance would benefit from exploring and exploiting the comic potential of the story and the characters further.

The informal and intimate nature of the performance is a perfect context for this genre and adds an unusual and innovative element to the shows on offer in the Comedy Festival. The Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, directed by Matthew Toogood, provides a beautifully executed score, which accompanies the extraordinary voices of the performers. This production makes it clear why Le 66 is an operetta well worth resurrecting.

Patricia Di Risio

Image courtesy of Saad Khaan Duranni of Pikchar Photoworks.