UNTIL Saturday November 17, Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre is playing host to Scottish Opera’s Rigoletto on selected days, writes Times theatre critic Kerry Black.

Following on from last year’s lush, traditional version of La Traviata, the company have given Rigoletto a dramatically modern makeover.

The central character of Rigoletto, the deformed buffoon, is sang magnificently by Greek Baritone Aris Argiris. He moves from prancing across the stage in Max Walls style trousers to a devastatingly heartbroken father.

Verdi’s twin strands of religion and superstition are interwoven into a grand tale of faith and fear, in a setting redolent with shadowy Film Noir references.

Rigoletto seeks to protect his beautiful daughter Gilda from the lecherous advances of the local men, by locking her away from sight, only allowing her to attend church with her chaperone. Gilda is played by the Norwegian soprano, Lina Johnson, whose frail, child like physique belies the power of her effortless soaring vocals - truly astounding!

Gilda has fallen for the Duke of Mantua (tenor Adam Smith), unaware of his reputation with women. Smith makes the part his own with his matinee idol looks and towering tenor voice, as he sings the famous “La Donna e Mobile”.

The scene where he fondles the disembodied limbs of a mannequin would be wasted without his strong acting skills. Rigoletto is made even more relevant to the current #metoo generation, by having a vast cast of Strictly Come Mannequins, in beautiful bias cut gowns and wigs, like a Busby Berkeley fantasy, as companions to the lecherously vulgar, bewigged men’s chorus.

Their beaked masks, add to the idea of them beind predatory, pecking beasts! Sparafucile, the hired assassin, is portrayed as a Humphrey Bogart style gangster complete with trilby and raincoat, by David Shipley, whose rich bass voice added real meat to his part. Interestingly all four of these principal roles are making their Scottish Opera debut in this production. Meanwhile, Welsh mezzo-soprano, Sioned Gwen Davies, plays Maddalena, his sister as a true scarlet woman.

Scottish Opera have a long history of encouraging young artistes and several of the cast including Lucy Anderson and Bethan Langford are or have been recipients of their Emerging Artist programme.

With Matthew Richardson as director and a star studded design and lighting team, coupled with their vast orchestra, under the leadership of Anthony Moffat, Rigoletto is truly a feast for all the senses, despite it’s tragic and at times sordid tale of shattered innocence. Go and be entranced!