The last production of The Magic Flute I saw ended with Sarastro having the Queen of the Night shot. This one ended with them practically kissing and making up, which at least makes a change.

Up until then, Stephen Langridge's production had not been a million miles away from The Music Theatre London production given here some years ago. The temple guardians are black-draped thugs and Sarastro a fascist dictator (his entrance is a photocall) - a revisionist approach which makes sense of the text (as much as anything can) but a nonsense of the music. But then at the end there are suddenly smiles all round, and the Brotherhood turn out to be wearing Buddhist yellow under their fascist black.

Conor Murphy's designs are a similar mish-mash - poverty row redeemed in places by clever lighting - and the performance toohas its ups and downs. Martin Andre obtains neat playing from the Ulster Orchestra but too often seemed in indecent haste. The vocal honours mostlygo to the ladies, mostly Catherine Foster as the Queen of the Night. Franzita Whelan as Paminais patchier, but often touching. The Three Boys are taken, cutely, by three boys; Richard Angas as Sarastro had an ample bass but no bottom, Jeffrey Stewart produced little beauty in Tamino's first act aria, but improved, as does Keel Watson's clowning Papageno.

Opera Northern Ireland's production of The Magic Flute continues on Saturday 26th September. Performances are sung in English and commence at 7.30 p.m. To book phone Belfast 241919.