THAT BASTARD, PUCCINI!

Park Theatre

★★★★★

“Do not miss this show – it is a masterpiece”

What does it mean to be an artist? Is it an occupation or a way of life? In James Inverne’s triumphant new play, That Bastard, Puccini! (directed by Daniel Slater), we meet two great Italian composers of the 19th century and get an insight into what might have been their motivations – and sacrifices – to not only create, but to be crowned the best. The result is a witty and deeply moving piece of theatre that celebrates artistry.

Puccini (Sebastien Torkia) and Leoncavallo (Alasdair Buchan) live in Milan at a time when composers are all trying to claim the spot as “the new Verdi”. When Puccini filches Leoncavallo’s idea to write an opera inspired by Henri Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de Bohème (Scenes of Bohemian Life), they enter a public race to see who can complete their opera first in what will later be known as the “Battle of the Bohèmes”. What’s remarkable about this show is how seamlessly the text, directing, design and acting work together to establish a unique mode of performance. The characters themselves know they are in a play to present significant moments from the rivalry to the audience. It’s a bold but brilliant choice by Inverne and Slater, supported with beautiful costume and set by Carly Brownbridge and exquisite lighting by Katy Morison. Here, the stage becomes a space that deposits the composers’ public competition alongside their private pressures.

The show starts in a living room with an enraged Leoncavallo telling his wife, Berthe (Lisa-Anne Wood) that Puccini has stolen his idea. Under a bright spotlight, Puccini enters to eavesdrop on their discussion and occasionally offer his own input to the audience – Leoncavallo and Berthe cannot see him. Puccini barks protests and throws his hands up in defence to the audience until Leoncavallo turns to greet him and the spotlight on Puccini goes off – NOW he has entered the room. And the sweeping destruction of the fourth wall continues. A great moment is where Puccini turns to Berthe and asks her to momentarily play his wife. “There are only three of us! Then you can go back to being Berthe.”, Puccini urges her. Through similar dramatics, the characters present other key players in the story. Torkia is mesmerising as Puccini. He is deliberate with every look, gesture and spoken word. He turns the simple act of sitting down into a grand event with the sharp flick of his coat tails and tenacious crossing of the legs.

The living room is a storytelling apparatus where multiple spaces can exist at once. The actors rearrange furniture to create a café or high street, supported with a smooth shift in sound (Yvonne Gilbert). The red curtain doubles as the proscenium arch of an opera house. And Puccini and Leoncavallo often shoo each other away from the piano with a sarcastic “Do you mind?”. The intention behind setting all the exterior spaces against the domestic backdrop of a living room visually reinforces how the artists’ rivalry invited trouble into their home lives. With the time crunch, you can feel their urgency throughout. For one composer, the race is thrilling – something he can feed off to create his music. For the other, it’s a potential career disaster. Both artists will persist. As Puccini repeatedly says, “The art always comes first”.

That Bastard, Puccini! is a thoughtful play that captures the thrills and challenges of the creative process. It is an existential exploration of how artists can be consumed by their work and what they are willing sacrifice to become one of the greats. Do not miss this show – it is a masterpiece.