The Magic Flute
Millennium Centre, Cardiff

WELSH National Opera’s reprise of its much-loved production of Mozart’s Magic Flute tones down the misogyny and religious fervour with some deft comic touches in what’s a family-friendly production.

From the opening moment when a giant plastic prawn attacks the heroic Tamino, ably sung here by tenor Ben Johnson, to the onstage birth of a ready-made family of dolls, this is an opera for all ages.

Rescued by the Queen of the Night’s three maids, who lasciviously ogle and paw him while he recovers from his fishy ordeal, Tamino is on a quest to rescue Pamina (soprano Anita Watson), the daughter of the Queen of the Night, abducted by Masonic leader Sarastro.

Bass James Platt’s Sarastro has some of the most sexist lines in opera and he delivers them with all the portentous pomposity that you would expect from a Lodge leader.

But it is Polish soprano Anna Siminska’s Queen of the Night who steals the show with her stunning aria as she berates and persuades her recalcitrant daughter into murdering Sarastro.

All the strong characters are women in this opera and they are faced with a misogynistic fear of their supposed wild, lustful and unbridled character. But laced through what could be an unedifying stew of men wittering about rational thought and reason is a large dollop of humour, which director Dominic Cooke lays on with a trowel.

Baritone Mark Stone is a lovely Papageno, wanting no more from life than wine, good food and love, which he finds in the character of soprano Claire Hampton’s Papagena.

The pair start an instant family, with baby after baby added to their ever-growing brood on stage.

The singing and acting is first rate, the orchestra is superb and the laughs are plentiful. What’s not to like in this celebration of a wonderful Mozart opera?

Tours until May 11, details: wno.org.uk.