La sonnambula: John Wilkie’s intelligent chamber account of Bellini’s opera for HGO benefitted from a glorious title role from Eyra Norman

Bellini: La sonnambula (Act Two finale) – HGO [Photo: Julian Guidera]

Bellini: La sonnambula; Eyra Norman, Hailey West, Mathilda Goike, Tobias Compos Santinaque, Michael Roche, dir: John Wilkie, cond: Stefano Boccacci, HGO; Jacksons Lane Theatre
Reviewed 7 November 2026

Daring to go where few companies do, HGO’s version of La sonnambula is brought to life by a glorious account of the title role alongside a finely supportive cast and John Wilkie’s highly intelligent chamber production

Bellini’s La sonnambula has its origins in a ballet performed in Paris in 1827 (scenario by Eugène Scribe, music by Ferdinand Hérold) at a time when somnambulism was all the rage on the Parisian stage. In 1831, Bellini having discarded plans for an opera based on Victor Hugo’s Hernani (which Verdi would set in 1844) lighted upon La sonnambula. Its full title is La sonnambula, ossia I Due Fidanzati svezzeri (The Sleepwalker, or The Two Swiss Betrothed), with the subtitle moving the focus onto the betrothed, whereas in the original ballet the title was The Sleepwalker, or The Arrival of a New Lord, placing the character that became Rodolfo more at the centre of the action. In fact, Felice Romani’s libretto for Bellini seems to lose interest in Rodolfo after Act One, he starts as a mysterious figure but then become stock. There is much by play with the fact that Amina reminds Rodolfo of someone he once knew, tantalising us with a revelation that never comes. In fact, there are other loose strands in the plot, why does Amina have a step-mother rather than a mother?

The poet Felice Romani was notorious for missing deadlines and his focus was always on situations exploring the extreme emotions of the characters, something that Bellini was interested in. What seemed to matter less to the two was how the characters got into those situations. Their operas (and many of Donizetti’s at the same period) required the heroines to be badly treated, misbelieved or traduced, thus leading them into extremes of emotion.

Bellini’s La sonnambula is an opera that requires substantial suspension of disbelief, it is not an opera you go to for satisfying dramatic theatre. The Swiss pastoral setting and the credulity of the villagers is essential to the logistics of the plot yet Bellini and Romani do little to flesh out the details. The opera also requires a soprano who is able to identify with her heroine both dramatically and musically.

Bellini: La sonnambula – Tobias Campos Santinaque, Eyra Norman – HGO [Photo: Julian Guidera]

As such the work would perhaps seem rather a stretch for a small opera company, yet HGO (Hamstead Garden Opera) bravely went where few dare [Buxton performed La sonnambula in 2023. Before that Covent Garden gave it in 2011, reviving a production from 2002, with the previous 1960 production last being revived in 1981]. Not only that but HGO managed to assemble two extremely fine casts. True Verdi voices might be in short supply still, but clearly Italian bel canto and Baroque are thriving).

We caught the first performance by the alternative cast at Jacksons Lane on Saturday 7 November 2026. The production was directed by John Wilkie and conducted by Stefano Boccacci, with designs by Jennifer Gregory and lighting by Jacob Gowler. Eyra Norman was Amina, Hailey West was Lisa, Mathilda Goike was Teresa, Tobias Campos Santinaque was Elvino, Michael Roche was Rodolfo, and Ted Day was Alessio. There was a chorus of 12 and an orchestra made up of single strings, woodwind, and trumpet, plus two horns, and percussion.

The setting was completely abstract, simply a set of mobile black metal frames and three small step-pyramids. The result provided plenty of visual movement and changes of height. And on a small stage where everyone was present a lot of the time, it brought clarity to the staging. Wilkie and Gregory had dropped any sense of the pastoral or the Swiss village, we could have been anywhere. There is little they could do about the villagers’ naivety or lack of information, we had to take as read that they believed in ghosts and had never heard of sleepwalking. Michael Roche’s black-clad Count Rodolfo was introduced as some sort of dark fiddler figure (hinting at Delius’s A village Romeo and Juliet with its Swiss setting, perhaps), and throughout he was a mysterious figure, the count-aspects played down and he was clearly a figure of authority and information (passing out books).

Bellini: La sonnambula – Ted Day (distant), Hailey West – HGO [Photo: Julian Guidera]

What Wilkie did do was to concentrate on the relationships of the three women involved, Amina (Eyra Norman), Lisa (Hailey West) and Teresa (Mathilda Goike). Before the opera starts, Lisa has been engaged to Elvino (Tobias Campos Santinaque) and is now making her way alone, as the proprietor of the inn. A flirtation with Rodolfo (Michael Roche) is interrupted by Amina’s first bout of sleepwalking. Amina is treated incredibly badly by Elvino, who refuses to believe her innocent even though the villagers confirm that Rodolfo says she is. Teresa is more of an onlooker; surely, she must know of Amina’s sleepwalking? But it is Teresa who finds the scarf that demonstrates that Lisa was in Rodolfo’s room in Act One. Both Lisa and Amina are thus ‘tainted’ and both have aborted weddings – that of Amina and Elvino in Act One, that of Lisa and Elvino in Act Two.

The ending, with its gloriously joyful final aria for Amina, was re-focused as Norman’s Amina tossed away her wedding ring and faced the future gloriously alone. Santinaque’s Elvino was left a gibbering mess.

Eyra Norman’s Amina could take all the attention focused on her. Norman’s way with Bellini’s vocal writing was a real delight. Her voice warm and rich, with a timbre that went all the way up, she had an expressive way with the fioriture that made emotional sense and was a long way from mere technical facility. From Amina’s first notes, it was a joy to hear the way she shaped the music. The first act of the opera is horribly slow, it takes a long time for anything resembling a plot. What you do have is acres of spun melody, which Norman made you love. Listening to her, it was clear that she had listened to Callas’s recording of the opera and taken it to heart, behind much of her phrasing you could hear La Divina. No bad role model, but I hope she goes on to develop her own personality.

Bellini: La sonnambula – Eyra Norman with Michael Roche, Mathilda Goike in the distance – HGO [Photo: Julian Guidera]

Hailey West made an equally impressive and very feisty Lisa. In both her arias, West impressed with her own command of bel canto, here distinctive with a vein of strength running through it that gave a nice contrast between the women. This Lisa was definitely her own woman, and West’s singing made that completely clear. Mathilda Goike impressed as Teresa, using eyes and face to express emotions in a role that has limited air time. Goike projected a strong personality, but her behaviour in the opera suggested Teresa was someway conflicted.

Tobias Campos Santinaque has a lithe, lyric tenor that contrasted with the richness of Norman’s voice. We heard him in Longborough this summer [as the sailor in Tristan und Isolde] and his roles have included Tamino and Nemorino. His approach to the role was fearless and his vocalism was athletic, though a certain dryness crept into his tone in the upper reaches. This Elvino was definitely a bit of a shit, and Santinaque brought out the incipient jealously and unreason, verging on the hysterical. But he also brought a slightly hang-dog feel to the character so despite his bad behaviour, at the end you rather felt sorry for him.

Michael Roche made an upright, solid Rodolfo, yet with just enough mystery to make you intrigued. There was a lovely firmness and shape to his approach to the bel canto. Ted Day made a personable yet diffident Alessio, a character doomed to be forever on the fringes. Even when Lisa was free she made it clear that she would never marry him!

Bellini: La sonnambula – Chorus, Ted Day & Eyra Norman (prone) – HGO [Photo: Julian Guidera]

The chorus was hard working; often on stage and often moving, they made an intriguing back-drop to the action. The orchestra had some notable solo moments, Bellini uses the horns to great effect for instance, and they provided a firm foundation for the singers. Conductor Stefano Boccacci clearly has a feeling for this music and his conducting allowed an element of fluidity from players and singers, without ever being self-indulgent. With Boccacci and the orchestra at the side of the stage, sight lines were difficult and there were moments when ensemble was not quite idea, but you sensed Boccacci feel for the music, he allowed the soloists space yet kept things moving.