SCENE IT: Fiona Ramsay gives volcanic performance as Callas in THE OPERA SINGER at the Baxter Theatre

Beverley Brommert

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All too seldom one encounters a piece of theatre that gratifies in every way: emotionally, intellectually, and dramatically. When in addition its gravitas is leavened with some acerbic humour, and the skill of its direction adds an aesthetic flourish, it leaves very little, if anything, to be desired. This is the case with THE OPERA SINGER, currently onstage at the Baxter Theatre.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

Much of the credit for this ravishing two-hander must go to dramatist/director Janna Ramos-Violante, who has welded all the above-mentioned elements into a deeply satisfying amalgam.

The prefatory image of this production conveys its essential theme: an ageing diva (Maria Callas) faces backstage intently studying her reflection in a mirror, heedless of a flower-strewn stage and the roar of applause. At last, satisfied with her appearance, she turns, gestures extravagant gratitude to her adoring fans, makes a predictable speech and picks up her red roses... to take home to an empty vase. What, if anything, lies behind all the adulation? Or remains after the noisy acclaim has fallen silent?  That preface brilliantly contextualises what is to follow without a single word of explanation necessary.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

The play is replete with such subtleties, some of them witty, some poignant, none of them superfluous.

Fiona Ramsay's coruscating portrayal of operatic legend Callas is as vivid as the scarlet drapery of her diva's costume, her volcanic performance ably countered by a nuanced interpretation from Owain Rhys Davies as the awestruck journalist / interviewer whose honesty and self-respect gradually conquer his inhibitions and enable him to hold his own against Callas' verbal assaults.

There is a delicate process whereby the pair come to realise they are not so different after all, both pursuing an elusive truth, both lonely, both dissatisfied with choices that carry unforseen penalties.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

Good drama is generated by conflict and contrast, of which there is no shortage here: the seduction of celebrity versus a sterile void once fame has waned; insecurity masked by superficial confidence; private misery and public éclat.

Nor is contrast confined to subject matter. Both performers run the gamut of light and shade in their body language, vocal delivery and facial repertoire to alternate between badinage and angry exchange, bullying and submission, as the balance of power shifts between them and the mood turns volatile, fuelled by their steady consumption of alcohol. The latter happily stops short of blurring their crisp articulation, which remains exemplary.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

The central action - the interview - is framed by two direct addresses to the audience by the journalist Theo, like parentheses giving a sense of structure: one more detail enhancing the elegance of the production. 

There is even a sting in the tail at the end of the second speech, to conclude on a dramatic note as befits a life from which drama was seldom, if ever, absent...

This is theatre worthy of attention for connoisseurs of the genre.

THE OPERA SINGER can be seen onstage at the Baxter Theatre until 7 February 2026. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.