Scottish Opera: Il trittico, Theatre Royal, Glasgow *****

It’s hard to remember when I last heard such side-splitting laughter and audible sobbing from an opera audience. Tugging at every emotional heartstring, Scottish Opera’s production of Puccini’s three one act-operas, Il trittico, with its stellar line-up of singers and nifty direction from David McVicar, was a triumph.

The scenarios for each opera are wildly different but they’re knitted together by a common theme of something hidden being revealed. In Il tabarro (The Cloak), a dark, brooding story of lust and jealousy unfolds on a barge on the Seine. From the opening bars it’s clear all is not well between the barge-owner (Roland Wood) and his wife (Sunyoung Seo), who is casting furtive looks at Luigi the stevedore (Viktor Antipenko). It does not end well.

Scottish Opera perform Gianni Schicchi, the third part of Il Trittico PIC: James Glossop

Daily convent life makes for a slow burn in Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica) until Karen Cargill, as the Princess, makes her commanding entrance and delivers bad news to her niece Angelica, another stunning performance from Seo. Her final aria that brings this tragedy to a close was gut-wrenching.

There was welcome light relief in McVicar’s hilarious 1970s setting of Gianni Schicchi, with hideous wallpaper and plenty of polo necks, tank tops and unflattering NHS glasses. This was like The Royle Family on steroids as they bickered over how to stop the fortune left by the recently departed Buoso going to the monks. Wood was sensational as Schicchi, who saves the day, although not quite how the other characters would have wanted. Wood and Seo let a brilliant ensemble cast, with impressive performances from Francesca Chiejina as Schicchi’s daughter, Elgan Llŷr Thomas as her lover and Louise Winter as Zita.

Conductor Stuart Stratford and the orchestra delivered Puccini’s glittering score with relish and aplomb. You might have to kill for a ticket.

Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 15 & 18 March; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 22 & 25 March, www.scottishopera.org.uk

Opera review: Scottish Opera: Il trittico, Theatre Royal, Glasgow