La Boheme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and in a cinema near you.
God not opera you’re thinking… All mountainous women and no action. Well, not any more, it isn’t. Rather, it’s young singers, who act properly, in edgy sets with humour thrown in.
Boheme (1893-5) has a touch of the Dickens, in that it is a gritty social commentary, mocking all strata of society: the rich old flirt, the cold-hearted landlord, the loose woman and the hissy creative. At the same time, the tragi-comic story feels Shakespearean, with bawdy drinking scenes followed by (you join the dots). In true Italian fashion, it glorifies love and friendship, as being the saving graces in this life of injustice and pain.
I have to say, the way her boyfriend gets irritable and finally dumps her because she gets too ill, with no criticism from his friends, and makes feeble excuses about how he was too poor to look after her properly, and when she comes back to him pitifully saying ‘Sorry I’m so sick’, I did feel a whoosh of irritation…
Can I recommend that you check out the live screenings of cultural events in your local cinemas, ranging from opera and ballet to pop concerts.
Tickets are around £25 instead of £200 and you feel right up close and personal. When it’s pop, everyone sings along. There are even star interviews, and inside stories to enhance the experience.
