Tosca seems indestructible. Given a half-decent performance, it can enthrall an audience, whatever the incidental shortcomings of the production - provided certain key elements are in place.

Some allowances did have to be made for this touring production. One did not expect lavish sets, but the lighting hardly conveyed the sense of the passage of time which is so important in this opera. The principals were lavishly cladbut some of the extras' costumes would have suited La Boheme better than Tosca.

The director was not much in evidence; performers walked off like the firing squad in the third act. If at times, nobody seemed to know what to do, at least no-one over-acted. The orchestra was tiny and tired-sounding, and Alekandru Samoila's conducting dragged for much of the first two acts. But as the company reportedly had to dig itself out an avalanche on the Romanian border at the start of their tour, one should perhaps be considerate.

In any case, the singing by a predominantly young cast was excellent enough for one to make any allowances gladly. Boris Materinco was a robust, dominating Scarpia, Ludmila Magomedova a thrillingly full-voiced Tosca. Ionel Voineag was a convincingly idiomatic Cavaradossi - while perhaps not so commanding a singer, there were no mannerisms. The smaller parts were well taken especially Valeriu Cojocaru as the Sacristan.