The latest production from Swansea City Opera was undoubtedly the best received to date and it is good to see the company building up its own dedicated following of enthusiasts - some of whom, one suspects, would find the prospect of a larger scale opera intimidating.

Performed here in French and accompanied by the Swansea City Opera Orchestra, this was a fine interpretation of Georges Bizet's timeless masterpiece - first performed in 1863 and set in a fishing village in ancient Ceylon(more properly known today as Sri Lanka).

At the outset it was good to see the set mirroring the visual imagery portrayed on the publicity material - largely two-dimensional and specially designed to fit onto stages ranging from large to small, it was a set which proved to be the perfect backdrop for some fabulously atmospheric lighting.

And the opera itself? Utterly glorious, featuring a heavenly rendition of the duet known as Au fond du temple saint performed by the characters Nadir(Nicholas Ransley)and Zurga(Adrian Powter) with a persuasive contribution from Fabienne Borget as Leila, the Priestess of Brahma.

It was also good to see the chorus tackling the idealised but nicely conceived Indian dance sequences choreographed by Tess Gibbs, who had clearly worked hard with the performers to achieve the desired results.

An unpretentious and uncluttered production which should Hopefully attract good audiences as it continues on its tour, including a date at Aberdare's Coliseum Theatre on Wednesday November 23.

Graham Williams

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