Die Fledermaus
★★★★☆ Clever and accessible
Stockbridge Church (Venue 317): Wed 13 – Sat 16 Aug 2025
Review by Orna Clarke
Aria Alba’s take on Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus in Stockbridge Church is a jovial experience that doesn’t take itself at all seriously, succeeding in making opera accessible.
The community opera company, now directed by Jake Zualski, presents an inspired reimagining of the 1874 original which has its tongue firmly in cheek. Fast-paced and full of intrigue, underscoring the action is a fantastic orchestra, made up of players from Edinburgh and Glasgow and conducted by Suzanne Godet.
The cast of Die Fledermaus take their bows at Stockbridge Church. Screenshot: Æ/
TV screens either side of the stage are used cleverly, first to establish the setting and then as title cards, giving the gist of the German-language songs. Crucially, they never detract from what’s happening on stage.
When the boss of a pharma company is sentenced to eight days in prison, he and those around him embark on a spiral of misdirection that leads worlds to collide and secrets to be revealed at an utterly fabulous party.
exquisitely funny
Wiener Pharma headquarters provides the opening setting, with sliding doors operated by two hilariously stoic stage hands. Alfred (Neil MacTavish), dazed and stumbling in a hospital gown, leads an exquisitely funny, farcical mime scene that sets the tone for the evening: this is not a hoity-toity night at the opera.
In the first of some excellent prop deployment, two nurses carrying a ridiculously large needle (no really, picture a comically large needle, then multiply that by three) administer Alfred with his drug trial jab, draw a cartoon moustache and eyebrows on him, then place the head of a mop on him like a makeshift wig.
The cast of Aria Alba’s Die Fledermaus. Pic: Aria Alba.
After a hysterical minute of the sliding doors trying to close on a floor-bound Alfred, the story gets properly underway. There are some stellar cast performances: Kata Feith is devilish as cleaner-turned-aspiring-actress Adele; Aaron Fait delivers a physical comedy masterclass as pharma boss Eisenstein; and Jolanda Grijpstra steals the limelight as Rosalinde, wife of Eisenstein and lover of Alfred.
As Adele and Eisenstein are separately persuaded to attend an ‘absolutely fabulous’ party thrown by an elusive prince, anticipation is sparked around what could be in store, and only continues to build throughout the show.
disco dance moves
Interconnecting storylines are established through several operatic songs: a duet between Eisenstein and Falke (Joseph Kelly) is accompanied by, of all things, disco dance moves, which strangely works in the context of Falke hyping Eisenstein up for the party.
Arguments also play out in song – first between Eisenstein and his solicitor, Blind (Belle McGregor), with Rosalinde attempting to mediate. The trio’s voices overlap as if they’re shouting over one another, the orchestral score growing frantic. When Eisenstein and Rosalinde fight, Adele is the mediator, her attempts to calm them down proving futile (though she does appear to be enjoying the chaos).
Aaron Fait as Eisenstein, Kata Feith as Adele and Jolanda Grijpstra as Rosalinde. Pic: Aria Alba.
The dialogue is witty, too – Alfred, appearing at Rosalinde’s home after Eisenstein has apparently left for his stint in prison (the first misdirect of the evening), tastes the latter’s dinner and asks: ‘How can you feed your husband on this?’ with Rosalinde’s response coming quickly: ‘I don’t like him very much.’
Things turn farcical again when loveable prison warden Frank (Derek Dunlop) arrives to arrest Eisenstein, leading to a case of purposely mistaken identity. Grijpstra and MacTavish are brilliant here as the wheels turn quickly in Rosalinde’s head, and much more slowly in Alfred’s.
an explosion of colour and glamour
In place of the traditional vocal interlude, Moira Levitt performs a charming Flamenco dance while the stage is reset for the big party. Kelly Doherty and Gill Quille’s fancy dress party costumes are simply dazzling, an explosion of colour and glamour: there’s a peacock headpiece, lush leopard print, sequins and tulle galore.
Fiona Watson as Orlofsky and Neil MacTavish as Alfred. Pic: Aria Alba.
Anticipation reaches a crescendo as the party scene unfolds, with disguises, alibis and confusion abound. As it becomes clear that Falke (Joseph Kelly) has orchestrated events to enact revenge on Eisenstein for a juvenile prank, the ensemble moves as one, a living, breathing backdrop to the central story.
Grijpstra is spectacular in a moving solo, with a great blink-and-you-miss-it moment where a partygoer shields their glass so it doesn’t smash during the final high notes.
After an amusing plot recap by jailer Frosch (Alasdair Watson), including a catchy refrain: ‘(S)he did what any normal person would do – (s)he lied’, the story is wrapped up with a ludicrous morning-after reunion of all the partygoers at the jail. Alfred sports another comically large prop here, in the form of a literal ball-and-chain.
always entertaining.
The show just barely hints at social commentary, like through the decision to make Eisenstein a pharma boss instead of a ‘man-about-town’ as in the original. But, ultimately, it prioritises fun, and leaves anything deeper up to the audience. An opera deserving of that grandiose title, but with none of the superiority, Fledermaus is exceedingly clever and always entertaining.
Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes (no interval).
Stockbridge Church (Church Hall), 7b Saxe Coburg Street, EH3 5BN (Venue 317).
Wednesday 13 – Saturday 16 August 2025.
Daily: 7pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Aria Alba website: www.ariaalba.co.uk
Facebook: @ariaalbaopera
Instagram: @ariaalba
Venue website: www.stockbridgechurch.org.uk
Kata Feith as Adele. Pic: Aria Alba.
ENDS
