Last Updated on June 13, 2026
Glyndebourne comes to London with Mozart’s dazzling opera
4.8 out of 5.0 starsGlyndebourne’s Le Nozze di Figaro arrived at the BBC Proms with the opera’s title now firmly in English (The Marriage of Figaro), bringing with it the weight of tradition: a reminder that opera at the Proms has always been about making the grand feel accessible, and the intimate feel expansive. In the vast space of the Royal Albert Hall, the familiar overture races ahead with its restless wit, and suddenly an opera written for the intimacy of late-18th-century Vienna came alive again for thousands of listeners under a single domed roof and for many, many more live on Radio 3.
The Proms and Glyndebourne have a long-standing relationship. It was Glyndebourne that brought the very first complete opera to the Proms in 1961 – Mozart’s Don Giovanni. That established a precedent: the idea that opera, usually sequestered in theatres and houses of its own, could thrive in the looser, more democratic arena of the Proms. Their Marriage of Figaro continues that tradition. Stripped of elaborate sets, the performance pivots instead on musical clarity, ensemble precision and the vitality of characterisation.
For the Proms, The Marriage of Figaro represents more than just another entry in the season’s operatic calendar. It is a case study in what the festival does best: taking works from the traditional canon and presenting them in ways that are at once ambitious, democratic and revealing. Having been lucky enough to see the first night of this new production at Glyndebourne, I was hesitant about what to expect from the Proms version. Part of the show’s success at Glyndebourne was the stunning design by Julia Hansen. Would a semi-staged version work?
The answer was a resounding yes, as Talia Stern’s creative direction deftly adapted the original Glyndebourne production to an open stage, with the orchestra playing visibly behind the action. Huw Montague Rendall’s Count provoked uproarious laughter with a brilliantly timed toe dance from the iconic copper slipper bath perched on stage. Even with the garden scene brought to life through little more than movable painted cardboard trees, the cast delivered exemplary performances. Tommaso Barea (Figaro) and Johanna Wallroth (Susanna) peeked mischievously from behind the props, delighting the audience as the Count’s downfall unfolded in Act IV.
What emerged in the semi-staged format we saw last night was not a diminished Figaro but a distilled one. With very little scenery to distract, focus turned to the opera’s intricate games of wit and desire – the way Mozart’s music turns domestic intrigue into something both comic and profound.
The hall itself played its part: the sheer scale of the Royal Albert Hall lends a new grandeur to the Countess’s stunningly delivered laments, while the bustling ensemble, so central to the opera, took on a new vibrancy.
Leading the band, Riccardo Minasi took things at a brisk pace. The experience of watching the fabulous players from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment on stage, with the plot of The Marriage of Figaro unfolding before them, was delightful. Minasi himself became an extra, kicking various props to touch and turning round to engage with the action.
Tommaso Barea injected Figaro with energy and wit, proving an ideal foil to Johanna Wallroth’s sweet, ethereal Susanna. His “Se vuol ballare” set an immediate benchmark, combining sprightly phrasing with sharp comedic timing. Throughout the performance, Barea maintained a balance of vocal lightness and power, delivering each line with a dexterity and presence that kept both the humour and musicality firmly in focus.
Huw Montague Rendall’s count was an excellent reprise of the stunning performance we’d seen at Glyndebourne earlier in the year.
Elisabeth Boudreault’s Barbarina was effervecently cheeky, and her delivery of the Pin Aria suitably plaintive, yet powerful enough to ring out across the cavernous Royal Albert Hall. Adele Charvet, too, deserves a special mention for brilliant characterisation and two stunning arias – a beautifully lyrical “Voi che sapete” and a spirited, impeccably accurate “Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio”. And, despite the challenging acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall, Madeleine Shaw as Marcellina offered a powerful performance of “Capro e la capretta.”
But the evening’s vocal star was unquestionably Louise Alder, whose portrayal of the Countess combined technical precision with emotional depth. In “Porgi, amor” her rich, lustrous soprano conveyed the heartache of a betrayed lover with a sustained, expressive line that held the Royal Albert Hall in rapt silence. By contrast, Dove Sono showcased a more introspective elegance, Alder navigating Mozart’s lyrical writing with subtlety and poise, her tone both luminous and intimately communicative.
Glyndebourne’s The Marriage of Figaro makes a compelling case for opera at the Proms—not as a decorative flourish, but as a central pillar of the festival’s identity, combining artistic excellence with broad accessibility. Mozart’s sharpest and most sensuous comedy pits men against women and master against servant, cutting to the heart of human desire and folly. Cherubino pines for the Countess, the Count pursues Susanna, and Figaro navigates the chaos with wit and cunning. Beneath the farce, the opera delivers pointed social commentary, challenging entrenched hierarchies while celebrating intelligence, moral fairness, and female agency. Even with the droit du seigneur consigned to history, its critique of power and privilege still resonates today.
Performances like this capture exactly what the Proms aim to offer: an immersive, joyous encounter with music that speaks to everyone. For those unable to attend in person, the experience remains accessible via BBC Radio 3, and the Proms production of The Marriage of Figaro will be available on BBC Sounds for the next two months, bringing the opera’s wit, charm, and insight into homes across the country.
For the full Proms programme, check here
The Marriage of Figaro from Glyndebourne Festival 2025
BBC Proms
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore,
South Kensington,
London SW7 2AP
Check our review of the Glyndebourne staged production of Le Nozze di Figaro
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