THIS 2011 John Caird production left me cold when it was first performed, gloomy lighting made it hard to see what on earth was going on and when you could there wasn’t too much worth looking at.

Under revival director Caroline Chaney and a few cast changes this work comes to life and while the notion of Rodin sculptures still adds little to our appreciation of Mozart’s glorious dark comedy it is a more enjoyable experience.

Elizabeth Watts sings Donna Elvira and what a fabulous performance from the English soprano. 

The acting is also finely tuned to bring out the nuances of the role, the angry, rejected, revenge-driven victim but also desperate to change her man and win his heart.

Making her debut, we had an elegant and vocally scintillating Donna Anna from Emily Birsan and her devoted if somewhat wet lover Don Ottavio sung by Benjamin Hulett with some lyrical beauty in his gentle arias.

Nice strong singing from Miklόs Sebestyén as the Commendatore, who the Don has killed after trying to seduce his daughter, and as a statue accepts the philanderer to supper and then returns the favour by taking him to Hell.

Katie Bray also gave a nicely rounded performance showing both sides of the peasant girl Zerlina whose suspect morality tempts he into Don Govanni’s snare but also plays her husband to be Masetto sung with lots of panache and spitting hatred from Gareth Brynmor John.

The whole evening is well harnessed with the paring of Irish tenor Gavin Ring as Don Giovanni and David Stout as Leporello. 

The two men work together skillfully, playing their roles with consummate artistry as gorgeous actor-singers.

Young conductor James Southall brought a rousing, fiery reading of the score.

Mike Smith