Sex, lies and salacious scandals. Opera director Brock Roberts tells Iggy Fenech how the upcoming production of Orpheus in the Underworld is so much more than a retelling of the legendary love story.

Grecian storytellers sure knew how to captivate audiences… In fact, the thrilling tales and timeless lessons of Ancient Greek myths have such universal allure that they have remained part of folk and pop culture for millennia.

Among these is the story of Orpheus, whose retrieval of his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld is prolific in art till this very day. Now, the story will act as a base to the Brock Roberts-directed Orpheus in the Underworld, which is set to be more titillating than traditional.

Of course, the legendary tale of Orpheus has always been more than simply a tale of romance; it’s even been remastered into a canvas that allows others to create their own works of art. This is mostly due to its timelessness, which proved perfect in mid-1800s, when French composer Jacques Offenbach used it as the base of his opéra bouffe, Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld), an operetta that was a social commentary not everyone could handle.

The reviews were mixed, in fact, and words like ‘grotesque’ and ‘profanation’ were thrown at it from various angles, as well as the poetic ‘(if gives off) an unhealthy odour.’

Brock Roberts

As often happens, it took years for critics to truly appreciate the genius behind it. Yet it was so forceful in its satire, that it continues to inspire many to this day, including Brock Roberts, the director of Orpheus in the Underworld, which will be on at the Manoel Theatre on Saturday and next Sunday.

“The comedy aspect of this show is what excites me most,” he says. “When Offenbach wrote Orpheus in the Underworld it was a big jab in the side of society and poked fun at all the ridiculous notions of the mid-1800s, but so many of those silly attitudes that were present then are still lingering with us today. More than that, I enjoy the fact that the show makes a mockery of everyone… No one is safe, not the gods, not the mortals, no one!”

For this opera, which is being co-produced by Valletta 2018 and the Manoel Theatre, Brock is working with the Manoel Theatre Youth Opera (TMYO) and Toi Toi to bring to life Offenbach’s original in a new and exciting way… By being set in the 1980s.

“Setting the opera in this era was purely a stylistic choice,” Brock continues. “My original intention was to set the play in a hotel, as we needed a place with at least three different levels to represent Olympus, Earth and the Underworld.

“I also wanted to create a world that felt real and palpable, but somehow wasn’t exactly the way it was supposed to be. Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld is pretty silly, so it’s always fun to add a bit of disbelief to the setting.

Offenbach’s Orpheus is pretty silly, so it’s always fun to add a bit of disbelief to the setting

“After that, I took Malta’s climate into consideration, and so the hotel is located in South Beach, Miami. From there, the 1980s became a natural choice, after all, it was the decade that gave us big hair, crazy fashion and the stock market boom which opened a lot of creative doors!”

Playing the leads will be an interesting mix of people, with classically trained singers and singing actors sharing the stage. Among these will be Althea Troisi De Menville, Sean Borg, Maria Eleanora Schembri, Joseph Zammit, Miguel Rosales and Cathy Lawlor, to name a few. As Brock explains, this has made rehearsals an extremely dynamic space – something which will surely show on the Manoel stage.

Like in any other opera, the visuals and sound are incredibly important, and a lot of work has gone into creating a holistic product: “Our costume designer, Maria Muscat, has a real flare for, as well as a love of, the 80s,” he says. “She has created some very unique and inspired looks for the show, which will offer a lot of eye-candy, as well as nostalgia, to the audience.

“Moreover, I’ve taken my own twist on Offenbach’s iconic Can-Can to keep it in line with our theme… But fear not: the audience will still be tapping their feet away to the familiar tune! There’s also a very special duet in Act 3 in which the leading lady, Eurydice, falls in love with a little creature, one of the more special moments in the opera.”

That last line in Brock’s quote is actually very important, as the opera is by no means a retelling of the original Grecian myth – and that’s not only in terms of location! Offenbach’s operetta was a twist on the legendary love story, with sex, lies and salacious scandals taking centre stage.

In this version, Orpheus doesn’t love Eurydice, and Eurydice prefers the company of other men. In fact, anyone who hasn’t seen Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld is in for some shocking, funny and thought-provoking moments… And what a beautiful twist to the age-old art form that makes!

“At the moment, opera is going through a bit of a tough time throughout the world,” Brock explains. “It’s an art form that has been around for so long and has had to find ways of updating itself in order to survive. There is a lot of fear that it is dying a slow death, but I don’t see it that way.

“We have a breadth of classic repertoire that we continually see in opera houses, but there are new and exciting pieces being written today that explore our modern-day life, as well as take a look back and pay homage to our ancestors. This gives us, as audience members, the chance to step back and examine ourselves in a different light.

“Much like a Picasso painting or a theatrical piece designed to explore human nature, opera gives us such a wide view of where we’ve come from and where we are now. Ultimately, that’s what the Arts offer us: a chance to examine life from all the intriguing angles it has.”

Orpheus in the Underworld will take place on Saturday and next Sunday at the Manoel Theatre.