Andrei Serban's 1984 production of Puccini's Turandot - revived here by Jeremy Sutcliffe - is big, bold and, taken with a pinch of salt, very enjoyable. It also fulfils a lot of operatic stereotypes.
First there's the spectacle of it all. Turandot is a bloodthirsty Chinese princess who lops off the heads of her undaunted stream of suitors unless they can answer her three riddles. Sally Jacobs's sets place the opera in a huge pavilion, the chorus filling every one of its three storeys, while dancers provide t'ai chi-inspired movement. The severed heads of former hopefuls, caught in various expressions of horror and surprise, are represented by enormous grotesque masks hanging from the walls. Costumes are lavish, even fantastical: the executioner, masked and painted green all over, could be an adversary for Batman. In a nod to the stage traditions of the 18th century, to which the opera's original story belongs, the emperor Altoum descends from the sky on a well-upholstered cloud; the three meddling courtiers, Ping, Pang and Pong, are straight out of the Italian commedia dell'arte.
Then there's the Big Aria: in this case, Nessun Dorma, to which the Canadian tenor Richard Margison is more than equal. Then - and this is the cliche that brings this revival down - there's the fact that, while the impressive crowd scenes are skilfully handled, the main characters often sing to the audience rather than each other, leaving a palpable lack of dramatic tension. The exceptions are Robert Lloyd's Timur, and Li Ping Zhang as the slave girl Liu, who provides the evening's most rewarding vocal performance with her beautifully spun lines and soft high notes. Frances Ginzer's Turandot is powerful but monochrome, and Margison, though full-toned and tireless as Calaf, has a cardboard cut-out manner that is hardly helped by his costume - a combination of tunic and moon boots that would flatter only the slenderest of tenors. The orchestra sounds intermittently sumptuous, but Marco Armiliato conducts with a heavy hand and ensemble between pit and stage is not always exact.
Puccini left Turandot unfinished at his death. Now that Luciano Berio's new ending looks like gaining a foothold in the repertoire in place of the one by Alfano used here, this production's days might finally be numbered. It is worth catching while you can - but expect to be impressed rather than intrigued.
· In rep until October 17. Box office: 020-7304 4000.
