Royal Ballet and Opera 2025-26 Review: La Fille du Régiment
By Mike Hardy(Credit: ©2026 Tristram Kenton)
Gaetano Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment,” first perfomed in 1840, was something of a near disaster. On opening night, the lead tenor was frequently off pitch and when it premiered in Italy, shortly after, it was labelled as “worthless” and closed after just six performances. Fortunately for Donizetti, (and everyone else), it quickly turned round and became a success.
A significant part of its eventual success was down to why it also proved to be a resounding success here at the Royal Opera House where Laurent Pelly’s production of the work is receiving its fifth revival; that is, the famous nine high Cs in the tenor’s signature aria, “Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête” of which, I am happy to report, the tenor on this occasion was pitch perfect.
Written and categorized as opéra comique, in Dan Dooner’s revival staging it frequently veers towards farcical pantomime rather than comedy. There’s an almost audience participation, (Oh yes there is!), thanks to asides and comments thrown out by the protagonists. There’s even a couple of current World Cup football jokes thrown in for good measure!
The basic plot centres around Marie, an orphan rescued from the battlefield and raised as the beloved “daughter” of a zany French army regiment. Her wealthy noble mother, (posing as her aunt), returns to reclaim her in order to marry a wealthy duke. Alas, Marie has fallen for Tonio, a Tyrolean peasant, and is forced to have to choose her future.
Chantal Thomas’s sets are simple yet splendidly effective; a cavalcade of loaded wagons in the Tyrolean mountains passes through to reveal a rocky outcrop on to which is printed topographic maps for the first Act and the second Act has a rather askew, if not suitably wonky, Berkenfield Castle with a distinctively sloping floor.
I saw this performance in 2010 where Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez reigned supreme in the role of Tonio. I was more than interested to learn, 16 years on, just how much vocal agility the master of the “bel canto” style had lost, especially since he hasn’t sung the role here since 2014. I am delighted to report that there is, seemingly, none. Perhaps because I was specifically scrutinizing for flaws, I thought I detected a tiny loss of that exquisite trademark beauty in his first interactions in the first act. However, by the time he had donned military uniform and joined the rest of the French regiment, he was singing in full flow, having seemingly found another gear.
And then the introduction to that most famous of arias began. Suffice to say, he rang off those high C’s with such apparent ease that I genuinely gave some initial consideration to them having been transposed down a semi-tone. The sheer ping, intensity and breath control effected on that final C on the word “Miliitaire” was astounding and resulted in what I consider to be the longest and most enthusiastic applause I can recall at the Royal Opera House. However, it has to be noted that he refused the C# in the final Act aria “Pour me rapprocher de Marie,” a note he usually soars to, preferring to hold on to the same note on “fallait” in “S’il me fallait.” It was no less stunning for that and in fact, the second verse of that aria beginning “Tout en tremblant, je viens, madame” was enriched with the very sublime sweetness and beauty I presumed was lacking early on.
Not only that, Flórez moves with surprising agility and deftness, is abundant in boyish charm and conducts himself in an almost Chaplinesque manner at times. The final Act where he turns up with his entire infantry, aloft a TANK, in order to rescue his beloved, is a sight and a joy to behold. He is still a remarkable and gifted artist who is probably without peer in this role.
His Marie, here, is portrayed by Spanish soprano Sara Blanch in her Royal Opera debut, who proved to be something of a phenomenon. Naturally adept at physical comedy, she sings with remarkable agility in a variety of bewildering positions, prone, held aloft or inclined, she is secure throughout the range with a piercing, precise top. Her emotive aria, “Il faut partir,” where she has to bid farewell to her military “fathers” and her life with them, created a particularly heart-rending moment, made all that more impactive by virtue of the contrast to the whimsical, fast-paced comedic mayhem that precedes it.
In the final Act, “Salut à la France!” aria she infused the piece with short trills and runs, hinting at her splendid coloratura credentials. She performed with astonishing energy, never ceasing to leap, bound or gallivant across the stage or throw herself, melodramatically, on to some portion of the set. She deservedly received the loudest and most sustained cheers and applause at the curtain call.
Italian Baritone AND Bass Paolo Bordogna gets to have fun with Sulpice Pingot, the surrogate father and protector of Marie. Rich, resonant and warm, vocally; he plays the buffoon Sergent to perfection and portrays a wonderful attachment to his adopted daughter, with whom they share a most endearing and convincing relationship.
Sonia Ganassi sang the role of Marquise de Berkenfield, infusing her lines with palpable haughtiness and conducting herself in a comedic, prissy manner at every turn, yet managing to adopt a touching conciliatory bearing in the final act when acquiescing to her daughters desire to marry Tonio.
The speaking role of La Duchesse de Crakentorp has traditionally been performed by a variety of celebrities over the years. This performance sees renowned British actress Tamsin Greig in what will undoubtedly be recorded as one of the most memorable Duchesses. She almost steals the show here with her splendid rendition of superciliousness, dispatching all and sundry with the utmost condescension and delivering her lines in a perfect blend of excellent French and offensive English, conveyed in a hilariously bumptious manner.
The opera chorus not only sang majestically, (when have they ever not?), but really earned their keep with a physically demanding script in their roles as comical French soldiers under the guidance of Choreographer Laura Scozzi and Revival Choreographer Karine Girard.
Conductor Yves Abel was splendid in his command of both orchestra and artists; guiding both along superbly. I do love to see a conductor who is equally focused on, and concerned for, the on-stage artists as well as those in the pit and in this respect, Abel excelled. The long, rousing prelude has to be one of the most impactive and joyous in the repertoire and it earned rapturous applause before the curtain had even risen.
This is a splendid opera to see for a first introduction and a wonderful example of how beautiful music can still inhabit non-serious themes, something which maestro Donizetti had an inarguable penchant for.