Last Updated on July 9, 2025
The revival of Damiano Michieletto’s Don Pasquale revels in its own fun:
There’s nothing like a household tyrant to get the blood boiling and the plates of operatic deception spinning. For those needing some light relief from their own domestic drama, there is respite to be had in seeing an even worse one presented on stage. Damiano Michieletto’s Don Pasquale is an ode to all things fun, awful, and awfully funny. It’s this production’s first revival at the Royal Opera House since 2019, and with new revival director Daniel Dooner, the show has heightened its farcical edge.
Don Pasquale is one of the all-time favourite comic operas, and, as with most melodramatic farce, the main drama revolves around deception and disguise. The aged, but filthy rich, bachelor Don Pasquale makes it his business to be involved in his family’s marital affairs. His nephew, Ernesto, spurns his uncle’s chosen match, exclaiming his affection lies with the widowed, and penniless, Norina. In a fit of rage, Don Pasquale decides to marry, cutting Ernesto off from his inheritance. Thoroughly unimpressed with his decision, Norina and Ernesto’s friend Doctor Malatesta decides to send a message to the old Don, by hatching a deceitful scheme. Malatesta persuades Norina to disguise herself as his sister and charm Pasquale into marrying her (with a fake notary). Whereupon she will become the most untamable shrew, in the hopes that the old Don realizes he is not the marrying sort.
Set amongst the glamour and decadence of the showbiz world, Pasquale’s digs, designed by Paolo Fantin, resemble a shabby looking 60s motel. It’s not clear where Pasquale has made his money, but the audience can easily imagine him being a washed-up director or an aged apathetic producer. Too set in his ways to utilize his fortune, he is content in spending his hours falling asleep in his deck chair next to his prized ivory vintage car. Lucio Gallo brings out the farce in Don Pasquale’s physicality and character. His nefarious Ted Danson-esque routine makes him an easy comedic villain in this production. It will be interesting to see whether Bryn Terfel’s performance will shake the dynamics up. Terfel will be returning to the role of Don Pasquale for half of the run, having starred in Michieletto’s 2019 production. If his previous performance is anything to go by, he may play the Don as less of a caricature.
Once again Pretty Yende wowed the audience with her astonishing range and charmingly cheeky performance. Yende was the perfect Norina, her demure façade was exceptionally well played, with every subtle lift of her skirt and every bat of her eyelashes believably fooling the unaware Pasquale. Yende’s voice traversed Norina’s spine-tingling high notes so lightly it felt as if the sound wasn’t coming from her but around her, encompassing and possessing the entire stage.
Yende’s stage presence was only beaten by Xabier Anduaga’s truly captivating performance as Ernesto. Notably, Anduaga left melodrama behind, to portray the heartbroken Ernesto, devastated at being cast out by his uncle and unable to marry his beloved Norina. Reaching and reverberating around the theatre, Ernesto’s pronunciation was second to none, every syllable was expertly deployed to sustain the interest and emotion. Ernesto and Norina’s expression of affection in ‘Tornami a dir che m’ami’ felt like reading someone else’s love letter, Yende and Anduaga were almost too intimate to watch.
Perhaps the most implausible part of this production, aside from the complete 24-hour makeover of Don Pasquale’s apartment, is that Doctor Malatesta would have time to commit to such an elaborate ruse, whilst also being a practising medical professional. Jokes aside, Andrzej Filończyk delivered a fun performance as the meddlesome doctor. Filończyk’s patter singing alongside Lucio Gallo was also impressive, but not as controlled as it could have been.
Conducting from Giacomo Sagripanti started off a little jittery. In particular, the overture suffered from uneven attention, and the first scene fell comedically flat. From here, however, the orchestra kicked up a notch and cleverly set the pace of the comedy. The chorus was handled particularly well. As members of the cast strolled on in painting overalls, tape measures in hand, to fit Norina’s new swanky furniture, the whirlwind of chorus members alongside the orchestra created a tight crescendo. The second act finished with Don Pasquale clutching his beloved green settee, realizing far too late, that Norina is just getting started.
If you ignore the agist undertones of Michieletto’s Don Pasquale, it’s a good night of opera buffa executed by an incredible cast. With its easy comedy, it is an ideal production for first-time operagoers. The Royal Opera House are once again running a Young ROH night on the 9th of May, with members able to grab seats for no more than £25. For an evening of performance from Pretty Yende and Xabier Anduaga, it’s well worth it.
Don Pasquale at The Royal Opera House:
Book Tickets: Don Pasquale (roh.org.uk)
Young ROH: Young ROH
Run Dates: 3rd – 20th May
Run Time: 2hrs 35mins
Address:
Royal Opera House,
Bow Street,
Covent Garden
London,
WC2E 9DD
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