Review: La Bohème @ Cock Tavern Theatre

If you are one of those people whom the sound of the word "opera" sends to sleep more surely than washing down a box of Valium with a pint of camomile, the version of Puccini's La Bohème currently playing at the Cock Tavern Theatre in Kilburn may be just what the doctor would order.

La Bohème is possibly one of the most accessible operas there is but this production with its irreverent new translation by Robin Norton-Hale takes away all possible cobwebs but getting the audience right in the middle of the action.

The tragic lovestory of the consumptive Mimi and the jealous Rodolfo has been migrated from its 19th century Paris garret to the digs of a bunch of famished arty men in 21st century Kilburn. An open window complacently lets in police sirens and careering buses that weave their sounds with that of the singers. The language can be colourful and even Jedward and Gordon Brown get a name-check.Act 2, normally set in Café Momus in the popular Quartier Latin, takes place in the Cock Tavern itself, complete with heckling plants and bewildered regulars. While this inventive staging does indeed make the action more real and exciting, it sadly doesn't quite work as the singing (and the words) gets drowned in the general bustling.The troupe has a revolving cast so we can't vouch for all the performances but the standards on the press night were generally very high. Rosalind Coad (our Mimi) is to be particularly celebrated for the beauty of her singing. A special mention must be made of Michael Davis (Marcello) who was ill that night but proved a real trooper, and delivered the goods with panache.The purists may not approve of this treatment but the evening is highly enjoyable and could prove a good introduction to opera for someone feeling shy of the more established institutions.La Bohème is at the Cock Tavern until 23 January. Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets £15/ £10 concessions. £5 tickets available.