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30 August 2025
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4****
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A cricket match, a food fight, a vegetable competition – what’s going on here? From the description you wouldn’t think for one moment that this is going to be a review of ‘Giulio Cesare in Egitto’ (‘Julius Caesar in Egypt’) by George Frideric Handl, but it is! As presented by Pleasure Dome Theatre and Somerset Opera, the story of power struggles, envy and love has been transferred from the early days of the Roman Empire, to the England of ‘Midsomer Murders’ – where a game of cricket between the villages of Romebury and Egyptumber results in bitterness and the desecration of cakes.
The production is billed as being “after Handel’s Giulio Cesare”, but the clever reworking of the story illustrates that some things never change and the result is smart, fun and extremely funny! Re-written (there are some hilarious lines..) and trimmed of much recitative, the opera bowls along merrily telling a great story with tongue firmly in cheek. Throughout the music is held sacred; you don’t need to muck around with Handel and the trio from Taunton Sinfonietta, lead by musical director Noah Mosley, play it with great care and respect; they are wonderful.
As Cesare, Helena Payne, is a powerful presence; patently a commanding captain of the cricket team, but also a battler when it comes to ensuring fair play! Her singing brings all the gravitas needed for the role and, like all the singers, does the composer proud. Helen Bailey is a lively and fun Cleopatra – the sequence where she shows off her versatility around the house to Cesare is hilarious – and likewise tackles the arias with class and with a tinkle in the eye. As the petulant, envious Tolomeo, Dominic Mattos fulfils the countertenor role with great skill and great fun – he really is a spoilt brat! Salome Siu is perfectly statuesque as Cornelia – the wife of the wronged Pompeo – her beautiful voice has a tender but mournful quality which fits the role perfectly. Cornelia and Pompeo’s son, Sesto, is exquisitely voiced by Isobel Hughes who gives the young man a real feisty quality – the eventual hero of the day. Stephanie Berner is just such fun as Nireno, a joyous performance and vocally right on the ball. There is a lovely emotional climax to the production where the downbeaten Pompeo (Dennis Carter) is welcomed back to the village. The chorus throws themselves into the action and, though may lack some vocal range in the lower registers, they are full engaged with the music.
The set is bedecked with bunting and as the cricket gives way to afternoon tea there is something of a nod to the Women’s Institute – strong women are a major feature of the opera – and in turn this gives way to a fight where food and crockery is tossed between the rival factions. Look carefully and you will see pyramid shaped tea bags as one of the missiles of choice – a nice touch, as is the ‘Ankh’ symbol (the Egyptian symbol for ‘the key of life’) in the chain of office which is passed between various characters as the story progresses. Nice to see a Millichamp & Hall cricket bat being used a well – the local bat manufacturer in Taunton. There are some well considered costumes and props – the large vegetable competition at the end is a triumph of design and hilarity.
It is very difficult to do this production justice in this review; it’s a bit bonkers but, at the same time full of intelligence and heart. If you have never seen opera before, then this is about as accessible as it gets – it is neither grand nor pretentious, it is the funniest opera I can remember seeing and the music is glorious – what’s not to like? Director Edwina Strobl must have questioned whether the wacky nature of the production would work, but her imagination and faith in the concept have resulted in a triumph. When you see performances such as this it helps breath more life into theatres and warms the heart. Don’t miss it!
Cast
Cesare – Helena Payne
Cleopatra – Helen Bailey
Tolomeo – Dominic Mattos
Sesto – Isobel Hughes
Cornelia – Salome Siu
Nireno – Stephanie Berner
Pompeo – Dennis Carter
Chorus – Eleanor Coton, June Stevenson, Hilary Marshall, Sue Richards, Stephen Grimshaw, Mia Morgan, Josephine Cresswell, Lona Jones
Creatives
Music – George Frideric Handel
Director – Edwina Strobl
Musical Director – Noah Mosley
Costume Design – Charlotte Ellen
Lighting Technician – Ember Angell
