Review

Nestled in the Buckinghamshire countryside at a country house near Chalfont St Peter, Vache Baroque staged their production of André Campra’s Carnival of Venice last weekend — a striking fusion of circus acrobatics and French baroque opera. The performance transported an audience of around 400 to Venice and the Underworld inside a blackened circus tent. Before the show began, a firm instruction was given: once the acrobatics were underway, no one was to move. It set the tone — this would not be genteel summer entertainment, but a performance laced with risk, spectacle, and wit.

The premiere brought together an energetic and disciplined cast in an absorbing two-hour mix of dance, acrobatics, and song. Detail, rigour, and polish were evident throughout, performers combining choreography and storytelling with ease. Lighting, direction, costume, and character all aligned to form a refreshing live experience that reinforced Vache Baroque’s distinctive flavour of opera production: edgy, playful, and inclusive. Particular note should go to the costume design — every outfit a treat for the eyes, Rodolphe’s frock coat especially so.

Campra’s late-17th-century comic opera offered simple, universal themes dressed in immediate, varied storytelling. The pace never slackened. Intimacy came from the in-the-round staging, with the audience shielded from torrential rain yet drawn close to the action.

The trimmed-down cast of ten worked diligently across disciplines. Katie Bray’s Leonore was a fearless presence, her sound well suited to the dry acoustic. Tristan Hambleton’s Ridolphe was assertive and playful; Themba Mvula’s duplicitous Leandre had charm, though more menace might have heightened the stakes. Judith Lozano’s Isabelle brought spark, affronted by divided affections, and later, convincing jeopardy when she sought to end her own life. Much of this landed thanks to James Hurley’s taut direction, which consistently pulled focus and kept narrative clear.

That clarity extended to shifts in setting — from the backstage bustle of the prologue, through Acts I and II, and finally into the self-aware opera within the opera. Here, characters performed Orfeo with wit and self-deprecation. Giuseppe Pellingra, shimmering in a gold cloak and seedy shoulder-length black hair, added just enough Alan Partridge to raise a knowing nod of approval.

The acrobatics were well judged, eye-catching without overwhelming the music — though more would not have gone amiss. Tempting fate on an overcast Saturday night in the countryside, French baroque opera with aerial stunts might have tested a more conservative audience. That so many came — and stayed engaged — suggests Vache Baroque has built loyalty and trust.

Practical touches made the evening all the more compelling: voices discreetly amplified so text was clear, clever use of smoke and lighting to shape space without costly sets, and resourceful movement that involved singers, conductor, and acrobats alike. Every penny seemed to have been spent where it counted, emphasising style, energy, and heart.

Now in its fifth year, Vache Baroque feels like a laboratory for the next generation of artistic leaders — supported by generous benefactors, daring to experiment with distinctiveness. That achievement is all the more striking given that its first season coincided with the first year of the pandemic. It speaks to the vision and vigour of co-founders Jonathan Darbourne (artistic director) and Betty Makharinsky (executive director), who have steered the company with clarity and boldness from the start.

For the audience, the trip beyond the M25 was rewarded with more than entertainment: an antidote to daily life thick with needless digital distraction. Close-quarters live performance, full of invention and risk, made this a lively and reaffirming experience.

Vache Baroque’s Le Carnval de Venise runs on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September 2025.

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