Opera can sometimes come with a reputation for being grand, serious, and perhaps a little intimidating. ‘Opera in the Pub’ throws that idea straight out the window — and proves that some of the world’s greatest music works remarkably well with a drink in hand.
Opera Bites has brought its much-loved ‘Opera in the Pub’ series to a new home at the Keg & Brew in Surry Hills, and its latest instalment, ‘Opera Plot . . . or Not?’, was an absolute delight.
Upstairs at the pub, the setting was intimate and wonderfully informal. There was no distant stage or sense that we needed to know our Verdi from our Puccini before taking a seat. Instead, Opera Bites welcomed us into the wonderfully ridiculous world of opera with humour, warmth, and some seriously impressive voices.
The premise was particularly fun. Opera is hardly short of improbable storylines, so we were challenged to work out which increasingly bizarre plots were genuine and which had been invented to fool us. Considering the kidnappings, mistaken identities, doomed romances, disguises, supernatural interventions, and general chaos that populate the operatic canon, deciding what was real proved much harder than expected.
Between the laughs came the music (and the delicious pub food!). Performed in full costume and at such close range, familiar operatic favourites took on a completely different energy. There is something thrilling about hearing powerful, classically trained voices fill a small room without the distance of a traditional theatre.
What I loved most was how accessible the whole experience felt. Opera aficionados had plenty to enjoy, but you could just as easily arrive knowing absolutely nothing about opera and have a brilliant evening.
Opera Bites has found a clever formula: take exceptional voices, remove the formality, add plenty of personality, and serve it all upstairs at the local pub.
If you have ever thought opera wasn’t for you, this might be the night that changes your mind.
About the author:
Yara Vasina is a Sydney-based writer for The Plus Ones, covering arts, culture, food, and experiences worth leaving the house for.
Opera Bites’ Opera in the Pub takes place at the Keg & Brew, 26 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. Keep an eye on the Opera Bites website for upcoming performances and tickets.
Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Opera Bites.
Image credit: Opera Bites
