Listen to the sound of past opera divas turning in their graves: unusually, the creative team’s biographies get top billing in the programme for Welsh National Opera’s new Figaro, with the singers following on behind.

This turns out to be symbolic. Spanish director Lluis Pasqual (this is a co-production with Gran Teatre del Liceu) has brought in Barcelona colleagues Paco Azorin (set designer), and Montse Colome (choreographer), and between them, they have imposed themselves pretty heavily on the proceedings. A spot of dance is introduced at every possible opportunity, and there are several importations from Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks. However, to be fair, Figaro and Susanna do radiate strongly sexy body language as they hop, skip, and jump into each other’s arms.

The real problem comes with the garden scene, which consists of giant plastic panels, painted with nice impressionistic pictures of trees. This would be fine if the panels didn’t constantly move in and out, jerkily and for no apparent reason. They seriously detract from the vital emotions being displayed at the time, and I cannot have been the only member of the Milton Keynes audience who was uneasily reminded of the disastrous accident that occurred on this same stage when another huge panel fell over during WNO’s Hansel and Gretel a few years ago.

The cast cope with all this with remarkable aplomb, although there sometimes seems to be less confidence in the considerable amount of ornamentation added to the principal arias. David Soar’s sexy Figaro is powerfully sung, although there could be more obvious antagonism towards Eddie Wade’s substantially built, bullying Count – it was Wade’s first night in the role, so the relationship may well develop. Very much up and coming singer Elizabeth Watts produces a feisty, no-nonsense Susanna – altogether this is decidedly not a floaty, light comedy Figaro. When she stands on tiptoe to slap Figaro round the chops, it resounds around the theatre.

Last minute stand-in Rowan Hellier suggests a public schoolboy Cherubino whose voice is about to break – he certainly seems terribly young to be packed off to the army. Henry Waddington (Bartolo), Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (a woolly-haired, splendidly incompetent music master Basilio) and Arwel Huw Morgan (Antonio) all contribute strongly, while Sophie Bevan (Barbarina) is very much a name to watch – her big aria was most movingly sung. But the star of the production is unquestionably Rebecca Evans as the Countess. She sings Dove sono with tremendous poise and beauty, single-handedly taking the opera way above the gimmickry of the production.

n There is another performance of Figaro at Milton Keynes Theatre tomorrow, Friday. The tour also includes Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love tonight and Saturday. Tel: 0870 060 6652 (www.ambassadortickets.com/miltonkeynes).