THERE was a world premiere at Strode Theatre in Street on Saturday, but one that arrived without fanfare and played out to a sadly small, but wildly enthusiastic audience.

Baroque opera lends itself to fun interpretation, and for 40 years, ever since Nick Hytner’s indelible Xerxes at ENO, directors have included quirky elements to inventive productions of Handel and his ilk.

All fine for London, you might say, but not Somerset. Not so. Edwina Strobl wondered how Julius Caesar and Cleopatra might get a Handel on village life, with its parish councils and cricket matches, its vegetable and cake contests. The answer is Cesare, touring as a co-production by Pleasure Dome Theatre and Somerset Opera, and playing eight venues from now until 25th October.

Musical director Noah Mosely, joined at Street by the redoubtable string players Mary Eade and Vicky Evans, turned in a cleverly adapted version of Handelian hits, including Hallelujah and All We Like Sheep from The Messiah, as the story unfolds.

Cesare has the chair of Romebury Parish Council and captains the cricket team, and today is the occasion of the annual cricket match against Egyptumber, where the pugnacious Tolomeo wants to seize power from the long time PC chairman, Pompeo (Dennis Carter). Tolomeo’s a crowd-pleaser, with his bragging and unfulfillable promises to “make the village great again”.

But his sister Cleopatra does all the work, and Cesare recognises her value. As various victories occur, the populace changes sides … but of course it all comes out right in the end and richly-deserved come-uppances are got.

This delightful version takes its inspiration from Jackie Weaver and her authority, and from every village fete we’ve ever attended.

Somerset Opera has engaged some excellent soloists, all of them throwing themselves both vocally and physically into the barmy concept. In the title role is Helena Payne, not just a warm and flexible mezzo but a fine comic actor (and artistic director of the Valley-of-the-Rocks based Pleasure Dome Theatre). She’s well-matched by soprano Helen Bailey as the versatile Cleopatra, and Dominic Mattos, a lyrical countertenor with a keen eye for comedy opportunities as Tolomeo. Isobel Hughes’ anxious Sesto saves the day, and her mother Cornelia’s anguish is beautifully done by Salome Siu. Stephanie Berner’s Nireno is just how Julia Sawalha might have done Handel.

It is all great fun, but it is impossible not to lament the lack of men in the Somerset Opera chorus. The two on stage do their very best, but they can’t match the (handful of) female singers. Everyone involved is having fun with the concept, which is vividly enacted.

The Street performance, on 30th August, was the world premiere, and the tour continues on 3rd, 5th and 7th September and on 17th, 18th, 22nd and 25th October. Take the chance to see and hear it, at Taunton, Ilminster, Frome, Dunster, Barnstaple, Bridgwater or Exeter, to see how your local company can tackle the challenges of Handel and his ornamentations as well as a really funny local story.

GP-W