Cosi fan tutte

Opera has a reputation for being stuffy and inscrutable, but this new production of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte is neither. Sung in English by a bright young cast in a striking contemporary setting, this Cosi is accessible and good fun, but is also, like the opera itself, clever and thought provoking.

The story is a bittersweet comedy about the fickleness of love and desire. Ferrando and Guglielmo are so certain of their fiancees' fidelity that they enter a bet with their cynical friend Don Alfonso. Following his condition that they appear in disguise and try to woo each other's betrothed, the men set to work on Dorabella and Fiordiligi, with the help of the maid, Despina. To the lovers' surprise and anguish, fidelity is not as easy or as common as they expected.

This economical set of six characters is nicely cast by uniformly good singers who are also capable actors. Soprano Hye Seoung Kwon is perhaps the vocal standout as the more scrupulous sister, Fiordiligi, particularly in her second-act aria that reveals the anxieties of a heart torn in two. Kwon conquers some tricky phrasing, soaring high notes and, for a soprano role, some surprisingly low ones, all with a genuine depth of feeling.

Tenor Henry Choo is also impressive as Ferrando, though to be fair none of the cast disappoints, making the ensemble singing delightful. Led by conductor Ollivier-Philippe Cuneo, Orchestra Victoria plays Mozart's shimmering score with joyful zest, while also subtly conveying its serious elements.

The acting of Luke Gabbedy (Guglielmo) and Tiffany Speight (Despina) is particularly effective. They throw themselves into the over-the-top comedy inherent to the opera, including the potential for sexual suggestiveness. Jim Sharman's new production for Opera Australia takes full advantage of Cosi fan tutte's playfulness, particularly through Gabriela Tylesova's often-outrageous costumes, which merge contemporary casual bling with 18th century-inspired styling.

Splashes of bold colour, set against touches of black and the plain white set, produce a striking effect with just the right touch of humour. The elegant, all-white wedding scene, and the extraordinary appearance of the chorus in white draperies, ostentatious hats and huge, under-lit neck ruffs, are also inspired ensemble looks.

Props are limited, and there's no scenery whatsoever – the stage recedes dramatically into a steeply raked, roughly triangular white space, which is occasionally partitioned with gauzy curtains. In this setting, human scenery is the key, and is not limited to the singing cast. A wedding tableau forms an unobtrusive backdrop to the proceedings or, in the case of the bride and groom, observers of it at the front of the stage (somehow smiling and attentive throughout, the pair are the unsung acting heroes of the piece).

This tableau and the opera's action bleed into each other's reality, most significantly through the prolific use of confetti to convey emotion, and the bridal video cameraman's occasional appearance to project live footage of the singers – and briefly even the audience - onto a curtain. This is part of the production's intriguing play on what is real and what is performance, in life and in love, particularly in their theatrical apogee, the wedding.

Opera Australia Cosi fan tutte

Cosi fan tutte is sung in English, and is playing at the State Theatre, Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, until December 12. For bookings, phone Ticketmaster on 1300 136 166 or online.