There is no more remote place on earth than Cape Town to experience opera. At the juncture of two vast Oceans and over 8,000 km south of the nearest opera houses in Europe, the art form still clings on to the African continent where its origins lie in the early 1800s as part of European colonial legacies.
In a sense, that isolation, as well as influences by the region’s unique cultural mix, affords an experience of opera that expands one’s underlying understanding of not only opera’s universal appeal but its ability to adapt and find contemporary relevance. And so, it was with enormous interest to see how the continent’s only permanently active company, Cape Town Opera (CTO), styled Rossini’s bubbly 1816 premiered opera buffa, The Barber of Seville.
Performing in the intimacy of Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay with a full house of over 250, what a blast it was! There was never a dull moment on stage in this totally madcap production directed by local actress, writer and theatre director, Sylvaine Strike, in her company debut.
Thrillingly sung, visually appealing and groomed with brilliant comic timing, it all came together splendidly with just solo piano accompaniment by musical director Jan Hugo.
Suited in black formals with high collar and sporting long bushy sideburns, Hugo entered the theatre to channel the great Rossini himself while taking a seat at the grand piano nestled into stage left. Tickling the ivories with an assured flair for well over two hours with only a 20 minute breather at interval, the enormity of the task to evoke what was written for full orchestra didn’t go unappreciated. Hugo set the mood with lively tempi, perfect balance and a measure of playfulness that brought about an entire standing ovation.
In ‘being’ Rossini, Hugo acted as an integral part of Strike’s clever concept in suggesting that the composer was working with and refining his opera, together with inclusions of interactions he had with his characters, as if in deep thought.
Strike’s setting could just as easily remind one of a local street corner in a Cape Town historic neighbourhood such as De Waterkant as it does of the opera’s setting of Seville. Its two, two-storied residences on either side of the tight open stage area was achieved in the most simplistic but effective way by set and costume designer Allegra Bernacchioni. It also converted cleverly into the interior setting of Bartolo’s home where the plot unfolds as Count Almaviva, with the resourceful, multi-hatted Figaro’s help, disguises himself to win Rosina’s love and outwit her controlling guardian, Doctor Bartolo.
And then, there were the oranges! Potted orange trees, a fruit bowl of oranges and Almaviva and Rosina’s flirtatious exchange in rolling oranges from one to the other across the harpsichord had you wondering. Seville has its own, sour-tasting orange variety and, accident or otherwise, in Greek mythology, legend has it that on the wedding day of Juno and Jupiter, the goddess brought oranges for her dowry as a symbol of love and fertility. Regardless, they gave fruit for thought! They also provided eye-catching colour in complimenting Bernacchioni’s fabulously vibrant costumes of early 19th century styling with contemporary-looking African-inspired accoutrements. Under Josh Linberg’s subtly shifting lighting design, the staging neatly responded to the essence of Rossini’s wit.
The major roles of Figaro, Rosina, Count Almaviva and Bartolo were shared between two casts, curiously called, as if in competition, the “Red Cast” and “Blue Cast”. At Friday evening’s performance, it was the “Red Cast” demonstrating their vocal and theatrical prowess.
With a swagger in his step as Figaro, Thando Zwane was quick to draw the audience into his character’s worldly-wise and clever-witted ways, his oaky, pliant and hugely resonant baritone announcing Figaro’s arrival flamboyantly in the work’s signature aria, Largo al factotum.
Innocent Masuku, former CTO Young Artist and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, cut a debonair figure with cheery affability as the lovestruck Almaviva. Masuku’s warm and bright tenor adorned the role with impressive litheness and the chemistry shared with soprano Brittany Smith’s coquettish and unapologetically impudent Rosina added much to the goings-on. Notably pure and lustrous in her top range, Smith breezed through alluringly in effortless-seeming form.
Baritone Conroy Scott took to Rossini’s speedy pitter-patter and striking crescendos like a duck to water as a highly suspicious, rather decrepit Bartolo. Comically and crisply animated, Monde Masimini was a hoot as Bartolo’s shady close associate Don Basilio. Luvo Rasemeni made the most of his minor but opening scene-setting role as Almaviva’s servant Fiorello and Garth Delport added a layer of memorable comedy as Bartolo’s servant Ambrogio who, in this case, had a serious issue with narcolepsy. Lusibalwethu Sesanti, with her own serious issue of vocal strain — sadly preventing her from singing Berta’s bouncy Act 2 aria expressing disdain for the ridiculousness of old men pursuing young women — nonetheless showed signs of vocal richness and a whizz with a feather duster.
The story is also not without a generous helping of punchy chorus work that enlivens the action. Meeting the task, a small but impactful contingent of lively street-musicians, bumbling keepers of the peace and soldiers not only sung with gusto but nailed the amusingly choreographed physical comedy that the whole cast should be commended for.
While celebrating love and freedom as it ridicules authority and social class, The Barber of Seville shows that wit and charm can outsmart power and tradition. In CTO’s creative hands, it also proved to be a chucklesome, entertaining and fruitful experience for which the air miles travelled to get here for were worth it.
Paul Selar
The Barber of Seville
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Libretto by Cesare Sterbini
Cape Town Opera
Theatre on the Bay, Camps Bay, Cape Town
Until 17th August 2025
Top image: L-R Thando Zwane (Figaro), Brittany Smith (Rosina), Innocent Masuku (Count Almaviva)
All photos by Allison Foat