Opera Australia: The Barber of Seville

Beyond haircuts and beard trims, this canny barber is the city’s matchmaking maestro!

Almaviva is wealthy, stealthy and head over heels. Rosina is witty, pretty and just as smitten. She’s also inconveniently betrothed. They need a plan. Time to call on: Fi-ga-ro! Figaro! Figaro!

Enter the friendly neighbourhood barber with wits and tricks as sharp as his razors. He sets to work to unite the young lovers in an evening of disguises and duplicity.

This rollicking, laugh-out-loud comedy took a young Rossini just 13 days to write. Playful energy sparkles through as many famous tunes as you can pack into two-and-a-half hours.

A cast of great voices and high spirits play among a marvellous set of cartoonish proportions — a world inspired by 1920s silent films, featuring a life-size doll’s house as its centrepiece.

Australian Figaros Samuel Dundas and Simon Meadows lead some of our best comic talents in this side-splitting romp through Seville.

Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

igaro Samuel Dundas (31 Oct, 3 & 5 Nov); Simon Meadows (1 & 4 Nov)

Rosina Helen Sherman (31 Oct, 3 & 5 Nov); Emily Edmonds (1 & 4 Nov)

Count Almaviva Shanul Sharma (31 Oct, 3 & 5 Nov); John Longmuir (1 & 4 Nov)

Dr Bartolo Andrew Moran (31 Oct, 3 & 5 Nov); Shane Lowrencev (1 & 4 Nov)

Don Basilio David Parkin

Berta Jane Ede