A cosi number

The eternal dilemma with Mozart's wife-swapping opera is why neither leading lady recognises that the badly-disguised fellow making advances to her is actually her sister's boyfriend. In ENO's new production, actor-turned-first-time-opera-director Samuel West solves this problem by having the sisters figure it out midway through Act II.

This device works surprisingly well: with the disguises dropped, the drama focuses on deception. The final 'unmasking' scene is all the more bitter and humiliating, grotesquely stage-managed by Don Alfonso (Andrew Shore).

Of the six-strong cast, standout performances include Victoria Simmonds and Toby Stafford-Allen, a divine Dorabella and a brooding, tortured Guglielmo.

As Despina, Alison Roddy's diction is crystal-clear, but her delivery is oddly emotionless. Mary Plazas, a former Dorabella, seems uncomfortable with Fiordiligi's higher tesitura; as her Ferrando, Colin Lee seems similarly tense at the top of his range.

Conductor Mark Wigglesworth braves the Barbican's acoustics while lighting designer Peter Mumford does beautiful tricks on Alison Chitty's Perspexandwire set. On the whole, some of West's choices work better than others, but this production asks questions and comes up with fairly twisted answers, making it worth seeing.

In rep until Oct 11, next perf Thu, Barbican, Silk Street EC2, 7pm, (Sats 6pm), £5 to £46. Tel: 0845 120 7550. www.eno.org Tube: Barbican/Moorgate

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