Comic Co-Opera in Busselton

Rubber wigs and opera will collide next month when Co-Opera brings its take on The Marriage of Figaro to Busselton.

The Adelaide-based theatre group will perform its comedic version of Mozart’s opera, complete with over-the-top 18th century-inspired costumes, at Georgiana Molloy Anglican School as part of its Australia-wide tour on November 2.

Soprano Sara Lambert, who plays the countess, said the production was aimed at opera newcomers, with the Italian musical to be sung mostly in English.

“Figaro always is a complicated story,” Ms Lambert said.

“We’ve tried to tell the story in a very simple way.

“We try to find ways to take theatre to people who haven’t seen opera before.”

Lambert said one of the challenges of performing as the countess was donning her “wedding cake dress” designed especially for the performance.

Cast also sport over-sized rubber wigs and key performers wear strategically-placed hearts, depending on their character.

“They’re very symbolic costumes and kind of funny, wacky and fun,” Lambert said.

The singer said the set had also been described as a stand-out feature of the performance, turning venues from beaches to community halls into an 18th century court.

A cabaret-style layout, she said, brought the audience close to the performers and added to the “stripped down and intimate” feeling the company was trying to create.

The Busselton performance will be one of Co-Opera’s last in Australia before it takes The Marriage of Figaro to Europe for performances in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Performers include seasoned opera singers like Lambert and newcomers who had been given a “foot in the door” through the performance.

The Marriage of Figaro will be performed from 7pm with doors opening at 6pm.

Tickets, drinks and food will be on sale on the night.

Tickets cost $30 for adults and $15 for concessions. They can be booked through www.trybooking.com or at Georgiana Molloy Anglican School.