Opera Gounod's Faust
	What is aged philosopher Faust to do? He's failed to solve the mysteries of life. If only he could recapture his lost youth ... It's a golden opportunity for a bent salesman like Mephistopheles. "Sign here," he sings, "drink this magic potion and you'll be young once more." Add in a vision of the desirable Margarita, and who's going to read the small print, hell and all that. In Opera Exchange's production of Gounod's Faust in Abingdon, Mephistopheles was an odd character indeed. First appearing in a shirt featuring a huge, gold spider, he next turned up in elegant top hat and tails, every inch a Victorian dandy about town. Sung by Stephen Barratt with a warm, strangely vibrating voice, he seemed a nice guy - until he let out a magnificently manic laugh, worthy of a real panto villain. No matter, Faust (convincingly sung by Ian Barratt) was duly duped. He was plainly delighted by Margarita who, as presented by Anne Todd-Howarth, was no wilting violet. She sailed through the sometimes snigger-making English translation too: "Is this a box? Is it for me? My hand trembles. Shall I open it?" This was alarmingly like television's Take Your Pick. But purple prose notwithstanding, the whole cast and orchestra put maximum effort into Gounod's lilting, melodic music. And, in the grandest opera tradition, we even got a ballet to accompany the famous waltz tune - take a bow, Nicola Dain, Natalie Davis and Ruth Horowitz. Meanwhile, conductor Neil Farrow was extracting a light, lyrical account of Gounod's score from the Oxford Sinfonia. Neil Farrow is a real find for Opera Exchange. Giles Woodforde

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