Words: Natasha Chanse

If you are a fan of Moulin Rouge or We Will Rock You, then you will love A Comedy of Operas. Even if you’re not, the stellar standard of audience interaction alongside the musical performances of your favourite pop hits creates a contagiously fun atmosphere for all.

The show is a celebration of all the classic operatic tropes. Love, lust, ecstasy, conflict, jealousy, despair – emotions are elevated to such heights that the roof of the theatre could lift off as you get swept away in the drama of it all.

Highlights include the emotional arc of the Harold Zidler-esque lead, who guides the audience through the darkest moments of the show to a heart-soaring proposal in the finale, bringing a macabre sense of humour to balance the occasionally sickly-sweet pageantry.

So too does the love story between the music tutor and pupil bring a sincerity that tempers the chaotic, swirl pool of motion on the stage. With the absence of spoken word, the international success of this show testifies to the genre’s ability to make audiences around the world feel good and be joined together in the commonality of human emotion.

A Comedy of Operas
Pleasance at EICC, Pentland Theatre
Various times
7-8, 10-15, 17-20, 22-23, 25-27 Aug