Opera review: Solid production of Madama Butterfly eschews any risky flutters 

Irish National Opera's latest take on the Puccini classic is an elegant affair 

Ewan Gaster, Celine Byrne and Hyona Kim  in Irish National Opera’s Madama Butterfly. Picture: Ros Kavanagh

Madama Butterfly, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin ★★★☆☆ 

 It’s the second time since 2019 that Irish National Opera has taken on Puccini’s ever-popular Madama Butterfly, this time in a co-production with Scottish Opera. Like its predecessor, this is an elegant, handsome affair – a “classic” take not so much in the sense that it’s unmissable, but more in the sense that it never dares to rock the boat. It’s beautifully mounted and sensitively sung, yes, but one can’t help wishing it had shown a bit more directorial bite.