That Bastard, Puccini! | Park Theatre

Puccini is a bastard!  Why? Leoncavallo told him about the next opera he’s composing and Puccini, that bastard, has only gone and stolen it! This means one thing: a composer's war! Once friends, now bitter rivals, watch as they battle to dominate the Italian operatic world with their self-perceived ‘original masterpiece’: ‘La Boheme’. Written by James Inverne, the current production at Park Theatre in London marks the show’s official world premiere. 

The show’s design is exactly what you’d expect from a period drama on stage. Wooden boards line the floor and the set consists of a piano, a chaise and a small table with a gramophone on it. A classic drawing room set, pulled together by the costumes, which consist of suits and dresses, emanating the style of the early eighteen nineties. The set isn’t particularly dynamic or original, but it does have one element that makes it memorable: music notation faintly spread across the floorboards. 

Iverne clearly has something to say with this piece. It’s less about friends turned rivals and more about the artistic process itself, exploring questions about how difficult it can be to come up with an original idea, what counts as original, the complex debates regarding ownership during the process of adaptation and what success actually means. He raises awareness of how much of a battle it is to get into the arts industry and stay there, and also points to how much of the industry is less driven by artistic value and more by financial power. In this sense, he makes the statement about the exclusivity of the arts, with success sometimes being the result of people in positions of power hiring their friends as opposed to actively considering the artistic value of the work in question and taking a chance on a new voice. 

This piece has a lot of strong characters who dare to challenge our ideas of what hard work and success means. Sure, Puccini may have had wider success with his version but he is driven by the idea of putting the art above all else and doing whatever it takes, in this sense he’s definitely the villain of the piece, but he’s one we really empathise with as we watch his battle to maintain connections with people. Whereas Leoncavallo may not be much of a commercial success but he is significantly more fortunate in other areas, with a wife who loves and supports his art unconditionally and Puccini, a good rival to spur him on to create great work. 

It must be said, however, that most of these questions come into play during the second act. 

The first act feels a bit slow and lacking in dramatic tension, with sporadic elements of comedy. To improve, both the direction and the script could be developed to pick up the pace, which could increase the drama and thus increase the impact of the comedic elements. To that end, this show feels lacking in genre confidence. At some points, its a tense drama which has us hooked, at others the drama seems lacking in drive. Some moments are utterly hilarious but otherwise, there are long periods where this aspect feels forgotten. 

The second act is gripping. It's sharp and witty, the tension is palpable and is very well integrated with the comedy. It has us hooked at every moment and we find ourselves captivated, needing to know the outcome of the competition. It’s this second act that has us reeling over the potential of the first act if it was developed further. 

Lisa-Anne Wood is an exceptionally gifted operatic singer and really shines during the moments where she’s able to share this with us. That being said, it becomes clear that she doesn’t feel as confident with this particular acting style, especially next to two powerhouses in the forms of Alasdair Buchan and Sebastien Torkia. She does her best but, unfortunately, her performance feels performative.

Torkia presents us with an entirely unique version of Puccini. He characterises him as having a sarcastic, playful and almost devilishly charming charisma with a chasm of loneliness locked away at his core. His energy really pulls the piece together, especially alongside Buchan. They seem to have a chemistry, which allows for them to bounce their characters off each other, making this particular pairing work so well. 

An insight into the artistic process of composers, which feels promising. 

That Bastard, Puccini! runs at Park Theatre until 09th August 2025.

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★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by David Monteith-Hodge