Rigoletto review: Light touch makes for enjoyable production of Verdi's classic 

And yet, that potential for darkness is largely eschewed here by director Julien Chavaz for Irish National Opera’s pre-Christmas staging. OK: it remains a story of deadly revenge, but it seems to take its lead from the lightness in Verdi’s music, rather than the debauched goings on of the Duke of Mantua’s court.

It’s there we begin, finding a chorus of courtiers clad as harlequins, in velvety, powdery pinks, a clownish cabal for the titular hunchbacked jester Rigoletto (deftly played by Michael Chioldi), against whom they turn as he mocks them. Their patterned dress blends in with the angular, flower-decorated shapes of Jamie Vartan’s set, framed by both strip and bulb lighting, adding to the sense of carnival.

The opening scene rather rushes by, a necessary exposition that has one of the noblemen cuckolded by the Duke arrive to give us that “maledizione”, the curse on Rigoletto which once gave the opera its name. That said, we know we are in safe vocal hands after tenor Bekhzod Davronov sings a bouncy 'Questo e qualo': a jaunty depiction of a serial seducer’s modus operandi if ever there was one. The Duke is mad after the Countess of Ceprano, but has also eyed up a lovely young thing at church.

In another tenor highlight, a wine bar slides out from stage left in Act 3, and Davronov takes a stool and a bottle for a deliciously arch rendering of 'La donna e mobile'. You can literally see him raise an eyebrow at one beat, somehow allowing the unpalatable lyrics to go down like honey. It’s a lot of fun; perhaps too much, given its proximity to the tragic ending, to Rigoletto and his daughter Gilda’s undoing.

We first meet Gilda cloistered away from the bad world her father knows all too well. She only goes out to church. But haven’t we already seen who likes to spot girls there? Uh-oh. This is the positively Greek irony of that curse, as we soon see.

 Soraya Mafi here reprises the role after a critically acclaimed turn for the Welsh National Opera. And this time, we can believe the hype, as she sings with a beautiful tone and precision. Safi emphasises Gilda’s girlishness, so it’s an odd misstep that she’s costumed rather frumpily. Alongside her, Chioldi’s voice becomes a powerful embodiment of fatherly love: he almost redeems himself in our eyes, creating a satisfying depth of characterization.

Special mention should go to the INO chorus, nimbly marshalled by Nicole Morel. The abduction scene is a highlight, as a black-clad, plague-masked crew go tip-toeing about their deed in sympathy with the orchestra’s tune of 'Zitti, Zitti', under the baton of Fergus Sheil. 

It’s a lovely marriage of music and movement, yet what should be sinister seems merely a bit of capering about. And this overall lack of threat does detract from the tragedy, but there remains more than enough for the eye and ear to enjoy.

• Ends Thursday