Opera.

                              

I am not an Opera fan, but like the curate and his egg, I do find it good in parts.

Like so many children, my first taste of theatre was through Panto. I loved it then, and I still do. In fact I find many similarities between Panto and Opera.

Just prior to 1600 the Camerata de' Bardi decided that humour, acting, and music, could all be jumbled together to create one theatrical art form that they amusing called 'the works' (i.e. opera). At the same time they inadvertently invented Panto. When Biggins sings 'Why does a red cow give white milk when she only eats green grass', he is in fact following that long tradition of drama and song.

If you search your local music store for Operatic music, you will probably find a good selection of 'Famous Operatic Arias' CD's; this is because the only interesting bits of any Opera are the arias. The infill is frankly a lot of nonsense (as is the case with Panto).

In most Operas this infill is no more than obscure boring tale telling whilst 'warbling' (I use the word loosely) the dialogue. The audience is obliged to listen to this tuneless and pointless anti-music whilst waiting for the next aria. In most Operas there is about 95% infill, and 5% aria; if you're lucky.

I would like to suggest that all the well known operatic arias are combined into one theatrical work, the words rewritten, and neatly fitted into the storyline of Mother Goose or Dick Whittington. Only then will I sit through two hours of Opera (and/or Biggins).

N.B. Christopher Biggins in an English actor/raconteur/Panto dame/party goer/and general embarrassment.