The Marriage of Figaro is a highly entertaining opera full of passion, humour and complications. It is also, as WNO Co-General Directors and CEOs Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree write, ‘first and foremost, a human comedy’, with a ‘timelessness to its central themes that make them as pertinent now as they were at its inception in 1786’. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to re-imagine the opera in a modern-day context, and more specifically through the lens of a reality television show. And what could possibly be more fitting than the Channel 4 hit series Married at First Sight?
For those who are unaware, MAFS depicts an ‘experiment’ where strangers hoping to find love are matched together by ‘experts’ and meet for the first time at their wedding ceremonies.
The Weddings
One of the fascinating aspects of the show is how different brides and grooms react on their wedding days. Certain couples have instant shared chemistry, while for others the attraction is one-sided or lacking entirely; meanwhile, some begin as friends and attempt to build a relationship slowly. If we imagine the two couples from The Marriage of Figaro in this situation, what might the outcome be?
We certainly think Figaro and Susanna would have chemistry upon first meeting, but that their love would burn slowly. In the case of Count and Countess Almaviva, we imagine sparks flying and an extremely romantic wedding day. After all, in The Barber of Seville, the prequel to The Marriage of Figaro, the Count is madly in love with Rosina, who later becomes the Countess. Yet, just like many weddings on the show, this one would surely appear too good to be true…
Partner swapping
MAFS is famous partly because of the scandals that occur during the experiment. Often, these are caused by someone attempting to steal the husband or wife of another person. Of course, our culprit here would be the unfaithful Count Almaviva, whose wandering eyes would be focused on Susanna. He would flirt with her behind his wife’s back and try to steal her from Figaro. A modern-day Susanna, however, would simply refuse him, without the need for an elaborate plan.
Commitment Ceremonies
Once living together, couples on the show assess whether they want to stay in the experiment together at the end of each week during a dramatic event called a ‘Commitment Ceremony’. If the decision is unanimous, both individuals get what they want. However, if one person chooses to stay and the other chooses to leave, they must both stay for another week. So, what would Mozart’s couples do?
We think Figaro and Susanna would both choose to stay together until the end of the experiment and beyond. They would likely become minor celebrities and the epitome of ‘couple goals’. Although, the WNO sequel to The Marriage of Figaro by David Pountney, entitled Figaro Gets a Divorce, suggests otherwise! Count Almaviva, meanwhile, would choose to leave after failing to seduce Susanna. Countess Almaviva’s decision is debatable. Nevertheless, we theorise that, while a Countess of the 18th century would have stuck firmly to her wedding vows, a 21st century Countess would know her worth better and choose to leave.
Tell us what you think and join the conversation!
