The beginning of Bliss is not so out of the realm of operatic canon, starting at a birthday party for advertising mogul Harry Joy (Peter Coleman-Wright). Despite the modern set and 1980s fashion, it can’t be argued that such a premise is so far removed from other operas, given that La Traviata, another part of Opera Australia’s 2010 season, begins the same way. What sets Bliss aside is what came next - a heart attack and subsequent trip to the hospital, the notion that Harry has been transported to Hell, his incestuous children, philandering wife and the story’s fascination with cancerous chemicals – all of these helping to paint the performance as thoroughly modern. Why then, does the audience laugh at the Australian vernacular? Why does explicit language shock the sensibilities? Are we truly to believe that Opera is a contemporary genre, when any notion of modernity immediately clashes with audience expectation?
Bliss is incredibly interesting but the heavy inflection given to that which challenges the opera aesthetic carries the potential to reduce what could be a terrific portrayal of family dysfunction to a theoretical exercise.
However, these are issues I had with the work itself and not with Opera Australia’s production.
The set design and lighting (created by Brian Thomson and Nigel Levings) is used to wonderful effect. While a set constructed entirely out of programmable light bulbs could easily fall into the gimmick category, the use of the medium allows for the creation of a spectacular ambience capable of heightening the humour, emotion and pure versatility of scenes. Within this sparse surrounding, the performances were fantastic. Coleman-Wright is not only perfectly cast as Harry Joy, but his talent surpasses the perceived limitations of character.
As Balstrode, a side character in Peter Grimes (2009), I was particularly taken by him, and to see him in a grander role is a delight. Harry Joy’s wife Betty (Merlyn Quaife), his son David (David Corcoran) and his daughter Lucy (Taryn Fiebig) are also wonderfully cast but one perhaps finds it slightly unbelievable to accept that Lucy is fifteen years old, and David at 17 also requires a weighty suspension of disbelief. However, Taryn Fiebig, stood out as wonderfully dedicated to both the musicality and theatricality of her role and I look forward to seeing her in future productions.
Though Bliss might walk the fine line between quirk and gimmick, Opera Australia’s performance of this new work is as magnificent as the text allows. Though the adaptation of Peter Carey‘s novel asks a lot of questions and seems to answer very few, the act of asking is carried wonderfully by the cast, and though I have my reservations about Bliss‘s place in the repertoire, it is certainly worth seeing for production innovation alone.
Bliss is playing at the Sydney Opera House on March 27th and 30th
The Art Centre in Melbourne for April 20th, 23rd, 27th and May 1st.
For tickets and other information, visit Opera Australia’s website
