🔗 Share this article Puccini's Masterpiece – An Atmospheric Interpretation of the Timeless Work Leaving behind traditional formalwear and picnic baskets in favor of affordable tickets and relaxed elegance, the opera house's fall season began with Floris Visser's sophisticated production of La Bohème. Expertly revived by Rachael Hewer, this staging not only impresses visually but also honors Puccini's classic weepy while introducing novel ways to raise goosebumps. Evocative Set Design and Mood Dieuweke van Reij's stage design – a metaphorical highway to heaven – functions for all each acts, paying homage to Brassaï's shadowy photographs of historic Paris. Exposed brickwork and glistening cobblestones are breathtakingly lit by Alex Brok, while Jon Morrell's monochrome costumes ooze couture. Visser's artists inhabit a sort of twilight zone, a world of mists, gendarmes, and sex workers, where the ghost of Death stalks the streets with the tubercular Mimì firmly in his sights. An eerily effective device, played with perfect calm by Christopher Lemmings. Whenever Aida Pascu's haunted seamstress appears, Death is there, a pallid figure in black, seated and gazing. Rodolfo intuits him, perhaps, but Mimì increasingly sees and fears him. He pops up as the toy-seller Parpignol, this time grasping an sinister bunch of crimson balloons. When the couple declare they will not part until the blossoms reappear in the spring, he draws back a tarpaulin to show them already in bloom. Mimì's final, agonized cry of “Come here, my love” is delivered not to Rodolfo but to Death himself. Precise and Aesthetically Pleasing Scenes Visser paints precise and visually alluring stage pictures. His likable students engage in spirited horseplay that for once is well-choreographed and easy to follow. The public square crackles with energy; Café Momus excels at humorous serving staff; corrupt policemen overlook to the business of the local sex workers. High Musical Standards In the pit, musical standards are high. Adam Hickox, child of the deceased Richard Hickox, has clearly received the musical gene, delivering an incisive interpretation of Puccini's music that's keenly attentive. A palpable, carefully measured elasticity intensifies the emotional stakes without ever turning overly sentimental. The orchestra reacts enthusiastically, as do the lively chorus and the youthful voices of the young artists. Standout Acting Pascu's pitiable Mimì is a tender creation, wan, agitated, and desperately fragile. Her voice has just the right degree of middle-range creaminess, although top notes could use a little more strength. Andrés Agudelo's Rodolfo doesn't always spark. His voice flourishes and wanes, sometimes within the same phrase, and he's inclined to resort to standard operatic gestures. Aksel Daveyan's vocal confidence enlivens his otherwise reserved Marcello, making him an excellent foil for Camilla Harris's confident, feisty, and extremely stylish Musetta. Markus Suihkonen shines as Colline, his performance climaxing in a touching Coat Aria, with Darwin Prakash a firm-toned, puckish Schaunard and Darren Jeffery delivering delicious brief appearances as Benoît and Alcindoro. In Sussex, until 2 November.