On 26 April the Regent offers Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in its regular series of live opera broadcast screenings from the Metropolitan Opera Company.

For those of us finding it hard to get to Manhattan, it’s a great opportunity to experience the grandest of musical theatre genres. In the tradition of its radio broadcasts, which began in 1931, the Metropolitan Opera has delivered live High Definition, big screen, big sound performances to movie theatres across the world since 2006.

The Marriage of Figaro is a limber comedy that takes place on the wedding day of Figaro and Suzanna, servants to the Count Almaviva. The Count has lecherous eyes for Suzanna, and the couple, with the help of the Countess, must outwit their master. 

Misunderstandings and complications naturally follow: in one sub-plot, Figaro almost marries his own mother. Concealments in closets and leaps out of windows draw attention to the artifices of the stage — and of human relations. This is both a comedy and a satire.

Lorenzo Da Ponte’s witty libretto is matched by the genius of the musical setting. This opera is a jukebox of Mozartian invention, tightly packed with one after another unflaggingly brilliant song, spread over combinations of voices: solos, duets and ensembles, all supported by an effortlessly illustrative orchestra.

Reviews of the current Met production praise the cast’s ability to raise real laughter, which is just as it should be.

Nobody can walk away from this show without a spring in their step and a song on their lips.

By the way, you’ll be able to catch the prequel to Mozart’s opera, Rossini’s Barber of Seville, at the Regent at the end of May. 

For tickets, visit The Regent.