Review: MARX IN LONDON!, Theatre Royal Glasgow - Scottish Opera

Photo credit: James Glossop

The story of a day in Karl Marx’s life in London may not sound like obvious material for an operatic farce but thankfully for Scottish Opera’s audiences, in the right hands, it absolutely is. The UK premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Marx in London! with a libretto by Charles Hart of The Phantom of the Opera fame takes us on a madcap journey through an August day for the Marx family, and what a treat it is.

Director Stephen Barlow leans into the humour of it all, with a great deal of physical comedy and winks and nudges to the audience. Yannis Thavoris’ design are very effective – from floating furniture getting taken away by bailiffs to hidden rooms behind picture frames; there’s a sort of cartoonish quality to the world created here. PJ McEvoy’s video design adds to this, especially in Tussi and Freddy’s fantastical duet when they appear to be flying above the streets of London.

Musically, Dove’s score seems to take inspiration from Adams, Wagner and even Bernard Herrmann’s famous Psycho score, while still feeling fresh and unique. The Orchestra of Scottish Opera is assured and precise under conductor David Parry, handling the complicated syncopations as easily as the sprawling, lyrical sections. Hart’s libretto is clever and witty, full of double entendres, internal rhymes and well-placed jokes.

Baritone Roland Wood takes the lead as Karl Marx, equally impressive in his world-weary scenes at home as in his grand political speech in the pub in Act 2. Soprano Orla Boylan, making her Scottish Opera debut, is resplendent as Marx’s wife, Jenny, handling her hugely dramatic moments with ease and almost stealing the show in the ‘Another Little Drink’ duet she shares with Lucy Schaufer’s Helene. Schaufer is a calm, reassuring presence with gloriously rich low notes. Many of the double entendres are given to William Morgan’s Freddy and Rebecca Bottone’s Tussi, who handle these comedic scenes with aplomb, even if some of the stratospheric coloratura seems to pose a slight challenge for Bottone at points. The smaller roles of Engels (Alasdair Elliott) and the Spy (Jamie MacDougall) add brevity and wit, with MacDougall in particular relishing his opportunity to break the fourth wall and wave his magnifying glass at the audience.

The standout moment is the large chorus towards the end of Act 1. The workers of Marx’s day are joined anachronistically by modern political activists, brandishing 70s peace signs, poignant pink triangles and NHS placards. This is a powerful scene beautifully sung by the chorus, and adds a touch of sincerity to what is - on the whole - a vibrant, farcical night at the opera.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Lorna Murray

Scottish Opera’s Marx in London! plays at Theatre Royal Glasgow until 17 February before playing in Edinburgh. For more information, please click here.