Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House

Wednesday will be a great day in the history of the Royal Opera House and a great day for Hairy McMungo. For the first time (apart from when he starred as the Shepherd in King Arthur) the very great Scottish tenor Iain Paton will sing with England’s greatest opera company. And not before time.

Powder Her Face isn’t one of Hairy’s favourite operas because it hasn’t got the sort of plot he can use as a bedtime story for his big lassie Caledonia and his wee lassie Imogen. (Hairy likes to tell the story and sing the good bits. He is very proud of his one-man version of Le nozze di Figaro – even the great Scottish soprano Janis Kelly needed two people to help her with Fast Forward Figaro – but he has to admit, he isn’t sure that his wee bairns understood everything and he did have to make a few wee edits. He has to say the Count wants to marry Susanna (instead of exercising his droit) so of course the Countess has to be his partner instead of his wife so she isn’t a Countess anymore and it all gets a wee bit confusing.) But Powder Her Face despite being very much an adult opera does have much in its favour.

In the first place the star is the great Scottish tenor Iain Paton, a very gifted and much underrated singer in Hairy’s opinion. Iain takes the many tenor roles in the opera. To begin with, he takes the role of a gossiping electrician and has no trouble with the physical demands of the role. Later Iain returns as a lounge lizard. Hairy McMungo has often thought it might be nice to be a lounge lizard, the type that hangs round hotels looking for women who might be able to support him financially. But Mrs McMungo would never allow it.

Iain next appears as a very naughty waiter to whom the Duchess gives very generous tip– and for once Hairy McMungo is not talking about Money. He also appears as a Priest, a role to which he brings all the requisite dignity and bearing. He is also a very stylish rubbernecker. Iain’s final role is as a delivery boy - like all true Scotsmen, he never ages.

The rest of the cast is not quite as Scottish but nevertheless strong. Joan Rogers is the promiscuous Duchess, a ridiculous woman and perhaps not a very nice one but Hairy feels there is something extremely poignant in Rogers’ performance – which is also very finely sung - that will win the sympathy of her audience.

Alan Ewing, who also worked with Iain on William Christie’s great recording of Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, sings the bass roles. If Hairy were not such a brave man, he would find the demanding character of Ewing’s Hotel Manager quite terrifying. Ewing also plays Duchess’s husband the Duke – not as pathetic as he might have been as he does have a mistress - and a Laundryman. You’ll have to wait and see whether he launders clothes or Money. Hairy McMungo can’t tell you everything. If he did there would be no point in you going. But as Ewing is an Irishman you can probably guess which is likely to come to him more naturally.

The roles of the Maid, Confidante, Waitress, Mistress, Rubbernecker and Society Journalist are all superbly sung by young soprano Rebecca Bottone. She is not Scottish but Hairy still thinks she has a very bright future ahead of her. She has a lovely light soprano, as clear as the Highland air and very nearly as high.

Timothy Redmond and the Southbank Sinfonia give an evocative account of Thomas Ades’ score. The production is officially sold out but Hairy McMungo urges you to check the ROH site and you might be lucky.

HAIRY McMUNGO

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