Diana and Huw perform in The Marriage of Figaro

Diana Montague and her son Huw Montague Rendall performed together in The Marriage of Figaro at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on Tuesday, October 13. Diana played the role of Marceline, while Huw portrayed Count Almaviva.

A rare mother-son collaboration

This was a rare occasion, as the mother and son, despite frequently performing at the same venues, had only previously sung together once in 2019 in Bucharest in Britten's Peter Grimes. In an interview with Presto Music, Huw, a baritone, spoke about the pleasure he took in teasing his mother and providing her with laudanum on stage, while admitting he trusted his mother's musical judgment more than any other.

Huw’s musical journey

Huw grew up with a mother who is a mezzo-soprano and a prominent figure at Covent Garden, and a father, tenor David Rendall, who died in 2025 and gave him his first singing lessons. Initially, Huw dreamed of becoming a policeman and discovered his voice through playing guitar and drums in a rock band before following in his parents' footsteps.

Childhood backstage

In Opera Magazine, he recalled a childhood spent backstage with his siblings, meeting notable figures such as Domingo, Pavarotti, and Hvorostovsky. For his role in Pelléas at Aix-en-Provence, he inherited his mother's annotated score of Mélisande and eventually added his own notes, requiring him to purchase a new score.

Roles and transitions

In Paris, Diana Montague, who has long been associated with the role of Chérubin, has passed the baton to Eva Zaïcik and returned to the role of Marceline, which she previously performed in London in 2019. Huw, recently applauded for his performance as Figaro in The Barber of Seville at the Bastille, has now been promoted to Count Almaviva.

Cast and production details

For this concert version, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées also invited Elbenita Kajtazi as the Countess, Lauranne Oliva as Suzanne, and Adrien Fournaison as Figaro, with the B'Rock Orchestra conducted by Sasha Scolnik-Brower.

A family connection in the opera

In Mozart's opera, Marceline discovers late that Figaro is her son. In the Montague Rendall family, there is no need to wait until the third act to recognize the blood ties. And this time, the laudanum was unnecessary.