One of the things that’s so successful about this all-ages version of The Magic Flute is the way it effortlessly synthesises all of its ingredients – dance, text, operatic arias and a dreamy-folky reinterpretation of Mozart’s score – in service to the story. And that famously fantastically convoluted narrative is presented clearly enough for everyone to understand (recommended age is five-plus, and it’s delightful for grownups too).
Papageno the bird catcher is played with bags of personality by the brilliant Nathan Bartman, he’s cheeky and big-hearted with more than enough warm energy to fill the stage. Prince Tamino (Jacob Lang) is his more earnest foil, and the choreography sends them both in easy arcs, lilting and circling across the stage as they set off to find Princess Pamina (Faith Prendergast). Multitalented soprano Donna Lennard, meanwhile, swaps between roles, as comfortable landing the leaping notes of the Queen of the Night’s famous Der Hölle Rache aria, as she is dancing or making winking asides to the audience.
The four are like a group of travelling players – Dick Bird’s set, featuring a wooden stage within a stage, adds to this feeling – and there’s something pleasingly DIY about some of the props, like the glowing-eyed monster that chases Tamino. But there’s also clever use of video, designed by Douglas Baker, with a shadow-puppet feel, both stylish and smart storytelling. There’s also a touch of the surreal in, for example, the three spirits with round white balloons for heads and wobbling dance steps. The score, by Frank Moon (well known to dance audiences for his work with Arthur Pita) similarly mixes the homespun and the high-flown, with Mozart woven into his own mysterious and melodious music.
Choreographer/director Luca Silvestrini founded Protein in 1997 and has made dance-theatre about everything from our love of food to the migrant experience, always with humour and heart. The Magic Flute is his second family show, after 2018’s The Little Prince, and you feel you are in completely safe hands, both with Silvestrini and the cast, their skill worn lightly in this gently upbeat production that’s completely charming.
• At DanceEast, Ipswich, until 14 December; then at the Place, London, 17-24 December
