Opera Holland Park’s new production of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus relocates the operetta to London on New Year’s Eve 1929, aiming for the risqué, fast-moving spirit of a Noël Coward farce. The staging has witty ideas, polished lyrics and several excellent performances, but the review finds its comic energy slow to build and its overall fizz insufficient until the final act.

Director Liam Steel uses an English adaptation by Jeremy Sams and Douglas Carter Beane, with period references including the Sitwells, Mitfords and Ivor Novello. Rebecca Bottone impresses as Adele, particularly in the Laughing Song, while Olivia Carrell, Clare Presland, Alison Langer and others provide strong singing; George Jackson conducts stylishly, although the orchestra is sometimes judged too loud for the voices. The second-act ballroom looks more visually impressive than the opening salon, but its distant placement weakens the audience connection, whereas the police-station finale produces the evening’s best comedy.