Despite the very mixed reception that originally greeted Puccini’s fifth opera in 1900, the intensity of the melodrama and the equally dramatic music have ensured that Tosca continues to enthral audiences, remaining one of the world’s most popular operas.

Warwick Fyfe and the chorus of West Australian opera’s Tosca. Photo © Clinton Bradbury.

West Australian Opera presented Patrick Nolan’s Opera Queensland production of Tosca at His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth. Tosca demands attention, from the crashing introductory Scarpia chords to its shocking finale. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rebecca Lang provided a compelling opening of musical brute force.

Nolan has set this production of Tosca in 1970s Italy, a time of economic downturn and social unrest. Sets from designer Dale Ferguson are minimalist in concept, with an elevated gallery across the stage unfortunately resulting in truncated sight-lines of the cast from all seats above the stalls. Mark Howett’s lighting was suitably stark, matching the set design. 

The backdrop for the opening scene of the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle was lit in amber colours, possibly reminiscent of a cathedral of...