Opera In The Reservoir @ Spring Hill Reservoir Review

Besides bringing a contemporary opera show to Brisbane, The Underground Opera Company has restored a historically important colonial structure and created an unusual and aesthetically pleasing performance space in the city.

You may not have heard of The Underground Opera Company; although it's been operational (underground) for seven years, it first came to Brisbane last year when it had completed an ambitious three year project to reopen the Wickham Terrace Service Reservoirs at Spring Hill.

Jon Maskell, Ashleigh MacLaine, Clarissa Foulcher and Mattias Lower

Their second season is a blend of well-known opera arias with a few numbers from musicals (arguably our modern equivalent) performed by a quartet of soprano, mezzo, tenor and baritone. There are two different casts but the programme is almost identical.

The opening night was buzzing with enthusiasm as patrons entered the Reservoir via the scaffold steps and explored the space (usually via the bar, drink in hand). The Victorian brick arches and vaults create a series of linked chambers, and the stage was set up 'in the round' in the central one, with seating in the four adjoining chambers and projections onto their back walls (so you watched the one opposite). This was a great way to provide a 'set' and generally added to the atmosphere nicely – apart from the Hitchcock-recalling megafauna birds flying past St Paul's in 'Feed The Birds'!

An occasional displayed quote gave good food for thought – Napoleon on the need for champagne at the start of the 'Champagne Chorus', for example. But this could have been extended to provide surtitles, as understanding the words often enhances appreciation in opera. The producer did MC and gave some useful notes on the context and meaning of the arias. His enthusiasm and drive to get keen responses from people is what got the whole project happening, but on stage it made for too high a proportion of talking in the overall show.

The jewels of the show, were two women: Ashleigh Crane and Louise Dorsman. Ashleigh is a local young performer, only completing her Master of Opera Studies at Queensland Conservatorium in 2013. She has a magnificent tone matched with impeccable diction and near flawless technique as showcased in 'O Mio Bambino' (Puccini) and 'The Laughing Song' (Strauss). Ashleigh also acts well with an assertive but sympathetic stage presence. Louise is a seasoned performer with an impressive range of tone from operatic to popular and at home with stuffy Mozart characters, taking Carmen out into the audience, or baring a modern soul in Wildhorn's 'Someone Like You'. The two blended beautifully in an ethereal performance of 'The Flower Duet' and in the quartet numbers.

The Adelaide baritone Darian Di Stefano-Johns has a pleasing enough voice in this space and good stage presence, that he uses to great effect as the Toreador. But his voice doesn't quite have the operatic edge of the other singers. The tenor Glenn Lorimer has a wider range of expression and fuller tone, quite able to pull off the final rousing number of Nessun Dorma. He provides richness to the tapestry when accompanying songs but occasionally needs more control to avoid harshness.

The pianist Brendan Murtagh did a grand job but the Roland couldn't quite meet the operatic timbre and sounded a little feeble in places. A shame but I suspect getting a grand or any real piano down there is just too hard: maybe electronic experts could help them impersonate one to a greater extent next time.

Albeit on a more modest scale than a opera at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Underground Opera have achieved a magical mix of stunning backdrop and beautiful voice. It's enchanting for architecture, aria or any lovers really; 'Opera In The Reservoir' is a memorable evening.

'Opera On The Reservoir' performs at the Spring Hill Reservoir, Wickham Terrace until 29 November.