Why Verdi's 1851 opera, Rigoletto, has always been, and remains to this day, so extraordinarily popular is something of a mystery to me. It is a dark and evil tale with more than a touch of the Epstein about it, with its themes of unchallenged power and rampant misogyny. And yet it remains an undisputed operatic masterpiece overflowing with Verdi's lush character-based orchestral writing.

Verdi's score is the super star here. It drives the emotional intensity of the opera with musical themes that minutely illustrate the characters' experiences. The music not only supports the narrative but lifts and drives the psychological complexity of the opera. It is completely magnificent, but nonetheless, it would be nice to have at least one character to root for.

Before the mayhem starts, Rigoletto has a day-job as the court jester for the Duke of Mantua. His acerbic nature means he has no friends at court and lives only for the safe upbringing of his daughter, Gilda. After being cursed by Count Monterone (the o-so-watchable and irreplaceable Willard White) and with the safety of his beloved daughter threatened by his boss, the Duke, Rigoletto sinks into a dangerous state of mental instability.

The current production by Opera North is a recall of their 2022 creation directed by British-Nigerian theatre artist Femi Elufowoju Jr and is every bit as colourful and visually playful as the narrative is dark and foreboding. Elufowoju leans into the idea of our protagonist, Rigoletto, being especially paranoid because he is a Black man living in a white man's world. I'm not sure if I see that additional element (perhaps I am racially unqualified from understanding), but there's absolutely no doubt that Blake Denson uses his stage presence and rich, powerful baritone voice to display Rigoletto's paranoia to the full: his daughter Gilda (a gorgeous performance by Raven McMillon) has been kidnapped by the henchmen of the local Duke (a disturbingly credible Leonardo Sánchez), so his anger, frustration and powerlessness are entirely understandable.

Throughout the production, Verdi's music is delivered with appropriate tension and attention to each character by conductor Patrick Lange and the always reliable orchestra of Opera North.

Raven McMillon (Gilda) has the challenge of delivering the technically challenging aria "Caro nome che il mio cor" (Sweet name that made my heart), or "Caro nome" for short. It is written for colouratura soprano, and McMillon delivers the aria with beautifully precise bell-like, almost crystalline tones, underlining the naivety and innocence of the only likeable character in the story.

To find his way out of his many difficulties, Rigoletto tries the obvious solution: to hire a hitman and the hitman's voluptuous sister to lure and trap the Duke of Mantua, kill him, and then throw his body into the river. It's such an obvious solution to his problems; what could possibly go wrong?

To find out what happens - and to see the scary and beguiling performances of Callum Thorpe as Sparafucile (the hitman) and Alyona Abramova as Maddalena (the hitman's sister) - you should really go and see the production yourself. There's a good reason why it's been so popular since 1851.

Rigoletto continues at Leeds Grand Theatre, then Newcastle Theatre Royal, Lowry, Salford Quays and Theatre Royal, Nottingham.

See https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/rigoletto/ for further details.