Figaro

There’s a wedding atmosphere at the castle: Figaro, the Count’s valet, and Suzanne, the Countess’s maid, are planning to marry. The Count has generously promised the couple a dowry. But it soon becomes clear that this generosity comes with a price Suzanne must pay. Although the Count has abolished the “right of the first night,” rules, as we know, only apply as long as they serve his interests. Figaro quickly realizes how closely favor, dependence, and loyalty are intertwined.

Beaumarchais had to fight a long battle against King Louis XVI’s censorship to get his play staged. And for good reason: The French Revolution was already looming on the horizon. And a servant who challenges the privileges of his masters with wit and intelligence smacked dangerously of revolution. How comforting that this form of abuse of power perished along with the Ancien Régime, isn’t it?

Antú Romero Nunes directs Beaumarchais’ The Marriage of Figaro with a live band as a fast-paced comedy about desire and power, intrigue and solidarity.