If you think opera is all serious faces, big dresses and sitting quietly in the dark, Madame Chandelier’s Grand Theft Opera is here to prove you very wrong.

Canadian soprano Delea Shand brings an abundance of energy to this fun, family-friendly Fringe show, which manages to introduce audiences to opera without making it feel like a lesson.

The story follows Madame Chandelier’s daughter, Pamina, who has been trapped inside a video game by the evil Queen of the Night. From there, we are thrown into a world of phones, guitar heroes, puppets, cancan dancing, and plenty of opera. Every child’s nightmare of being told to put their screen away turned into a musical adventure.

And the audience is not sitting back and watching. Kids and adults become NPCs, or “non paid cast”, getting involved in video game battles, throwing props around and helping move the story along. Along the way, familiar characters from operas including Carmen, Tosca and Madame Butterfly pop up as part of the mission to rescue Pamina.

Shand is clearly having a wonderful time. She changes between characters, costumes and accents at a ridiculous pace, while still showing off some seriously impressive vocals. There is plenty of physical comedy too, including the moment when she manages to catch a star in her mouth while singing the ‘high notes’. Nessun dormer will never be the same after seeing her gargle the aria.

The production itself keeps things simple but clever. A curtained screen becomes a giant gaming device, while the lighting switches between Madame Chandelier’s bright pink world and the Queen’s rather more ominous “blue light energy”.

What really works is how effortlessly the show makes opera feel fun and accessible, there’s enough silliness and theatrical chaos to keep the adults entertained too.

If you are looking for a Fringe show the whole family can enjoy, Madame Chandelier’s Grand Theft Opera is a lively, eccentric, and genuinely entertaining introduction to opera.

Reviewed by Nina Gardner

Four and a half Stars

Playing at:-  Pleasance Courtyard – The Green   until 16th August

Tickets and further information can be found following the link below

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/madame-chandelier-s-grand-theft-opera

Creatives

Directed by P Burton-Morgan

Written and performed by Delea Shand

Musical arrangements by Delea Shand

Additional musical arrangements by Bertie Anderson (Der Hölle Rache, Ach ich fühls, Nessun Dorma)