Jane Archibald as the Vixen and Carolyn Sproule as the Dog (behind) in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen.Michael Cooper/Canadian Opera Company
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- Title: The Cunning Little Vixen
- Written by: Leos Janacek
- Director: Jamie Manton
- Conductor: Johannes Debus
- Company: Canadian Opera Company
- Venue: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
- City: Toronto
- Year: To Feb. 16, 2024
I bet that if you asked 10 of Canada’s most ardent opera lovers to give you a one-sentence synopsis of The Cunning Little Vixen, you’d get 10 different answers.
But to dwell on the what’s-it-about question would be to entirely miss the point of Leos Janacek’s 1924 opera, the storybook-like tale of the fox Sharp Ears and her forest-dwelling friends, based on the illustrated novella by Rudolf Tesnohlidek.
For listeners craving structure, the opera is a series of vignettes that bring us into the world of Sharp Ears and her relentless foe, the Forester. The story spans the vixen’s life, from her overconfident youth to her years spent as the Forester’s captive, to her wild scape to freedom. And like many a good story, The Cunning Little Vixen forces upon its audience a life lesson of sorts: Never mind the trees, observe the beauty of the forest. Or, more plainly: It’s not about the plot, it’s about imagination.
In this production, which comes to Toronto by way of London’s English National Opera, director Jamie Manton leans into the whimsy of it all. The aesthetic is a playful mix of meta-theatrical and storybook fable, and at times the stage is so overrun by magical wildlife that it feels like a blur between Alice in Wonderland and A Bug’s Life. The exaggeration creates room for allegory, life lessons and commentary on big ideas such as feminism and wealth inequality.
Designer Tom Scutt’s costumes are eye-popping masterpieces – from the impossibly fluffy Dog (sung by Carolyn Sproule) to the utterly unreal Rooster costume, donned with a whiff of RuPaul by tenor Adam Luther.
His sets, objectively impressive in their creation, add murkiness to the mix. Central to the stage is a giant, continuously unfurling tapestry that illustrates the opera’s big themes, through the cycle of seasons, right up to when the music literally runs out. Everything appears deconstructed. The “forest” is a lumber yard, logs stacked and suspended at all heights across the stage. The “bar” is a collection of kegs with rubber tubes flowing out like tentacles, from which thirsty drinkers take direct swigs. Even the movable set pieces read like the unfinished back side of “real” scenery … but for what show?
Ema Nikolovska, left, as the Fox and Jane Archibald as the Vixen in The Cunning Little Vixen.Michael Cooper/Canadian Opera Company
The design may have left me with those kinds of mundane questions, but the stellar cast is undeniable. In the title role, star Canadian soprano Jane Archibald beautifully pairs youthful, wiley movements with a rich, soulful sound that lends depth to the Vixen’s character. Archibald’s signature stratospheric singing is on full display, yet she doesn’t lean on her coloratura chops. Through her swagger and broad smile, we understand the Vixen’s intelligence and her hunger for life experience, even her casual nerve in the face of enemies. She’s totally likable, and for fans of Archibald’s work (Torontonians may have heard her in the COC’s recent Arabella or The Abduction from the Seraglio), Vixen is a refreshing departure from gravitas.
And Archibald is surrounded by excellent castmates. Christopher Purves is stunning as the Forester, a man of endless vocal colours and who shows total joy in singing the Czech language. Purves, who was last at the COC as Alberich in 2016′s Siegfried, is a true singing actor who saves some of his most heartwarming vocal moments for his swan-song-like aria at the show’s end. As the Poacher, bass-baritone and recent COC Ensemble graduate Alex Halliday finds a beautiful balance between strapping and lyric.
Ema Nikolovska is another standout as the Fox, with whom the Vixen falls madly in love. In what is technically a trouser role (a funny thought when foxes are concerned), Nikolovska shines with a clear, powerful mezzo that soars high with ease. This is a COC debut for her, and a total treat to hear.
The Canadian Children’s Opera Company has a big presence in this production, and their joy seeps out into the audience without even trying. And under the baton of music director Johannes Debus, the COC Orchestra sounds gloriously transparent, wavering in and out of the spotlight like a true supporting character. Finally, I’m not sure I’ve seen much that’s more hilarious than a COC Chorus of (beautifully) squawking hens.
The Cunning Little Vixen is a show of fantastic pieces that don’t convincingly gel. The design concepts are inspired and fun, right down to the little blue running shorts on the Fly. Yet there was vagueness in the air, like an idea better in concept than in execution. The stage is a marvel of things to look at, but I’m not sure any of them help with that pesky question: What’s it about?
In the interest of consistency across all critics’ reviews, The Globe has eliminated its star-rating system in film and theatre to align with coverage of music, books, visual arts and dance. Instead, works of excellence will be noted with a critic’s pick designation across all coverage. (Television reviews, typically based on an incomplete season, are exempt.)