Review: The Magic Flute at LOWRY ‘blends dazzling visuals, playful humour and vocal brilliance to Mozart’s classic Opera’

Opera North’s The Magic Flute at LOWRY is a bold and imaginative revival that brings fresh energy, visual flair, and musical brilliance to Mozart’s much-loved opera.

One of the most beloved and enduring operas of all time, first performed on 30th September 1791 at Vienna’s Theater auf der Wieden, The Magic Flute is a work with a serious pedigree.

And while Opera North first staged this opera at the Leeds Grand Theatre back in December 1978, this latest revival of James Brining’s production proves that magic never fades,  it only grows stronger with time.

The Magic Flute at LOWRY

Sung in Jeremy Sams’ English translation of Schikaneder’s libretto (and though I usually prefer original-language performances, this was so deftly handled you would hardly notice), this Magic Flute was a labyrinth of twists and turns, pulling us deep into Tamino’s quest to rescue Pamina from the Queen of the Night’s clutches: all while navigating love, danger, and the eternal battle between light and dark.

Trystan Llŷr Griffiths as Tamino

Trystan Llŷr Griffiths returns to Opera North as a pitch-perfect Tamino: a dashing, princely figure dressed in royal blue and gold braid, as if stepping straight from a fairy tale (or a military parade ground). His voice, tender yet commanding, shone particularly in Tamino’s iconic aria “This Portrait is Enchanting and Beautiful” (Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön),  a moment of sheer vocal magic that seemed to suspend time itself.

Papageno, played by Emyr Wyn Jones, the ever-lovable birdcatcher, delivered yet another bright, humorous, and heartfelt performance. A crowd favourite, his impeccable comedic timing and warm stage presence provided a perfect foil to the opera’s darker moments.

The sparkling three ladies

Meanwhile, the incredible trio of Ladies: Katie Sharpe, Hazel Croft, and Charlie Drummond, were playful, sharp and dripping with sass. Armed with lightsabers and wickedly sharp wit, these bewimpled guardians brought energy and sparkle to every scene they touched.

And then the Queen of the Night. What a performance. Nazan Fikret absolutely dazzled, nailing one of opera’s most notoriously difficult vocal roles with ferocity and poise. She handled the aria “Der Hölle Rache” with almost ease, her soaring, stratospheric coloratura left the audience breathless.

Opposite her stood Sarastro, played by Justin Hopkins, portrayed as a brusque yet commanding figure: a mix of power and cool authority, wholly appropriate for this high priest of reason and light.

The Queen of the Night and Sarastro’s battle of ideals, light versus dark, reason versus chaos, pulsed through every note, giving this production a deep and thought-provoking undercurrent. As James Brining himself pointed out in the programme, The Magic Flute is full of extremes, with some of the widest musical intervals in opera, and this tension is mirrored beautifully in the clash of ideologies between Sarastro and the Queen.

A visually stunning production

Visually, this production was nothing short of stunning. Colin Richmond’s set and costume design were ingenious: shifting walls and dream-like projections kept the audience deliciously disoriented, echoing the opera’s magical, otherworldly vibe.

Costumes balanced fantasy with psychological insight: from Sarastro’s cult-like uniforms (think Handmaid’s Tale) to the Queen of the Night’s haunting, decayed glamour, woven from the corpses of birds she despises.

Huge credit must also go to Patrick Lange, who conducted the orchestra with vitality, and to director James Brining, whose vision stitched all these elements together into a seamless whole.

An accessible opera

A special and heartfelt shout-out to the BSL interpreters, Sarah Cox and Craig Painting, whose expressive and theatrical signing brought this magical world to life for Deaf audiences, a wonderful reminder of how inclusive and accessible opera can and should be.

Another Opera North show, another wonderful performance. Magic Flute was a triumph of music, drama, and design,  a glittering revival that proves Opera North’s enduring ability to breathe new life into the classics. Like the best magic, it left us enchanted, thrilled, and a little wiser to the battles between light and dark in all of us.

What’s on at LOWRY

For full listings and to see what’s on at LOWRY, please click here