This March, our majestic national theatre will be presenting Tosca, one of the most beloved operas in Malta. It is set to be a memorable performance not only because of its star-studded cast led by world-renowned tenor José Cura as Cavaradossi, but also because Cura himself will be lending it his original vision as director. The opera will be conducted by Mario de Rose while Silvia Collazuol, long-time assistant director and co-set designer to Cura, will be designing the costumes.

Tosca tells the story of celebrated singer Floria Tosca (Tanya Ivanova) and her lover Mario Cavaradossi (José Cura), an artist whose life is threatened by the ruthless police chief Scarpia (Carlos Almaguer) in 1800 Rome. Although the love between Tosca and Cavaradossi is at the heart of the opera, jealousy and political intrigue turn their story into a tragic one.

While creating the costumes for the protagonists, Collazuol respected the Empire Style, but gave it a modern twist. “I believe in keeping things simple and authentic,” she says. “It’s easy to fall into the trap of adding too much in a bid to be original and make the costumes stand out, but we need to remember that the clothes that the characters wear are their everyday clothes. They are no different than the clothes I am wearing right now, or that the reader is wearing while reading this. So a good costume must not get in the way and attract attention to itself. That is not its purpose.”

“While most of the characters in this production wear one costume throughout the performance, the libretto requires Tosca to change hers. In the first act, she wears a day dress, but in the second, when summoned by Scarpia at the end of a performance for the Queen of Naples, she necessarily wears a dress that a singer of her fame would have worn. There are no useless costume changes, which would only serve to satisfy a costume designer’s ego,” Collazuol states. “Although Tosca is a woman of humble origins, she likes the attention she gets when she becomes a famous singer. This is reflected in her choice of clothing. In the first act, her dress is simple but in a colour that does not go unnoticed. Likewise, her concert dress in the second act expresses her desire to shine but it also masks her deep insecurity.”

Although realism is crucial to Collazuol’s approach to dressing this production’s cast, she does not shy from using colour and its symbolism. “Blood flows in the fabric of Scarpia’s clothes and those of his gang, while Cavaradossi and his allies are dressed in earthy tones that reflect their genuineness,” she hints.

Collazuol concludes by declaring that as cruel as Baron Scarpia might be, his costume is one of her favourites. “He is the most elegant character of all; a powerful and sadistic man who always gets what he wants but is never guilty of lapses in style,” adds Collazuol. “However, even though I have high expectations of Scarpia’s costume, I have to admit that I cannot wait to see our soprano walk onto the magical stage of Teatru Manoel dressed as Tosca.”

The Teatru Manoel and Valletta Cultural Agency co-production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca will be performed at Teatru Manoel on 5, 8, 10 and 12 March 2023, with all performances at 7.30pm. This production is suitable for audiences aged 14 and above. Tickets are available via www.teatrumanoel.mt or by email to [email protected] and telephone on (+356) 2124 6389.