Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro: a beginner's guide

1. Measuring out the room

We're introduced to Susanna and her fiancé Figaro, who is happily measuring their new room to see where their marriage bed might fit after their wedding. Picture: Robert Workman

2. The Count's feudal right

While Figaro is perfectly happy with the room, Susanna isn't best pleased as it's right next to Count Almaviva's chambers. The Count used to spend the night with his servant girls on their wedding nights, before their husband could sleep with them. After the Count married Rosina, he abolished this 'feudal right', but plans to reinstate it in time for Susanna's wedding. Picture: Robert Workman

3. Bartolo's debt

While the Count has designs on Figaro's fiancée, someone else is making plans to marry Figaro off too. Dr Bartolo wants him to marry Marcellina, his housekeeper, to cancel a debt he can't afford to pay. Picture: Robert Workman

4. Cherubino arrives

The page, Cherubino, arrives, and he can't help falling in love with every woman he sees - the Countess in particular. What's more, he's had a fling with the gardener's daughter, Barbarina, and to say the Count isn't best pleased is an understatement. He asks Susanna to speak to the Countess to see if she can calm her husband down, but is forced to hide when he hears the Count arrive. Picture: Robert Workman

5. The Count hides

Finding Susanna alone (or so he thinks), the Count pursues her and even offers to buy her affections. But no sooner has he taken out his wallet, Basilio arrives, forcing the Count to hide - he doesn't want to be found out. Picture: Robert Workman

6. Cherubino and the Countess

Basilio, a renowned gossip, revels in sharing Cherubino's crush on the Countess with Susanna. Understandably, the Count (who's already angry with Cherubino after the incident with the gardener's daughter) jumps out in a rage, revealing his hiding place. Picture: Robert Workman

7. The Count's rage

Angry at the news that Cherubino has eyes for his wife, the Count recounts the tale of when he found the page and the gardener's daughter under the kitchen table. He sees a sheet hanging over a chair, and demonstrates just how he pulled the cloth from the table... Picture: Robert Workman

8. Cherubino gets away with it

...only to find Cherubino hiding underneath once more! He's been there the whole time, and heard the Count trying it on with Susanna, so gets away with out punishment despite the Count's rage. Picture: Robert Workman

9. Officially renouncing the right

Excellent timing. The peasants from the estate arrive, and Figaro tries to make the Count swear he'll leave Susanna alone so she can save herself for the wedding night. The Count promises to make a formal gesture officially renouncing his 'feudal right' later on. In the mean time, he publicly forgives Cherubino, but sends him to Seville for army duty so he can't get into any more trouble with the ladies. Picture: Robert Workman

10. Porgi Amor

We begin Act II in the Countess' boudoir, as she laments her husband's infidelity in the famous aria 'Porgi, amor'. Luckily, Susanna arrives to comfort her, explaining the Count isn't trying to seduce her at all - he's just offering to pay her in return for her love. Picture: Robert Workman

11. The plot thickens

"If you want to dance, I'll play the guitar for you," explains Figaro. He's planning to humour the Count and gradually unravel his schemes to sleep with Susanna, and sings a snippet of the aria once more in this scene. Now he's planning to distract the Count with anonymous letters, warning him of adulterers in the court. He advises the Countess not to send Cherubino away to the army - rather, she should dress him up as Susanna and trick the Count into seducing him. Picture: Robert Workman

12. Locked doors and trickery

Cherubino, smitten with the Countess, sings a song he's written especially for her. The two ladies start to dress Cherubino up as a woman to prepare for his illicit rendezvous with the Count, and Susanna leaves the room to find a ribbon. As they wait for her return, the Count knocks on the door, forcing Cherubino to hide in the closet. Susanna sneaks in, unnoticed, and takes Cherubino's place as the Count and Countess go in search of tools to force the closet open. Picture: Robert Workman

13. Confusion and disguise

Cherubino can't escape from the locked boudoir, so jumps out the window to avoid the Count. The Countess comes clean, explaining to her husband that Cherubino's hiding in the closet - but opens the door to find Susanna after all. Thinking on her feet, she says she lied to test the Count's trust as a test, which he's now failed. Unfortunately, the plan is almost foiled by the drunken gardener who's suspicious after seeing someone jump out of the window. Figaro comes to the rescue, and pretends the mystery jumper was him. Picture: Robert Workman

14. Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio burst in

Just as Susanna, the Countess, and Figaro manage to convince the Count that the gardener is a drunkard who doesn't know what he's talking about, Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio burst in, bringing charges against Figaro and demanding he marries Marcellina. Picture: Robert Workman

15. Susanna tricks the Count

The Count's pretty confused after his run in with the gardener, but Susanna takes his mind off things by offering to meet him later for a romantic encounter. Little does he know that it's his wife, the Countess, who's persuaded Susanna to trick her husband to test his trust. Figaro celebrates the fact that he's outwitted the Count, but the Count overhears and resolves to make Figaro marry Marcellina as punishment. Picture: Robert Workman

16. A joyful reunion

Figaro explains he can't marry Marcellina because he needs his parents' permission before marrying anyone. In a typically operatic plot twist, it transpires that he's the long-lost son of Marcellina and Bartolo. (Surprise!) The couple agree to marry immediately, and plan a double wedding with Figaro and Susanna. Picture: Robert Workman

17. The Countess is alone

The couples go off to plan their weddings, leaving the Countess alone. She mourns the loss of her past happiness until Susanna arrives with a fresh plot to trap the Count. Picture: Robert Workman

18. The Letter Duet

The Countess dictates a letter, singing the famous Sull'aria 'letter duet'. It's a trap from Susanna, asking the Count to meet her under the pine trees. She seals it with her brooch, and instructs the Count to return it to her. Picture: Robert Workman

19. Cherubino and Barbarina

A chorus of peasants (including Cherubino, dressed up as a woman) arrives to sing to the Countess. The Count, discovering Cherubino, is furious once more. But Barbarina, the gardener's daughter, asks for Cherubino's hand in marriage, embarrassing the Count by declaring he once offered her anything she wanted. In an attempt to save face, the Count agrees, and lets Cherubino stay. Picture: Robert Workman

20. The Count sends back the brooch

Susanna and Figaro, and Marcellina and Bartolo are now married. The Count receives the letter and sends the brooch back to Susanna, via Barbarina, who drops it. Figaro finds her scavenging for the pin and he's overcome with jealousy, believing Susanna is meeting the Count behind his back. Picture: Robert Workman

21. Susanna in disguise

Susanna arrives, dressed up as the Countess. She sings a love song, which Figaro believes to be directed towards the Count. Picture: Robert Workman

22. Swapping outfits

Following the wedding, Susanna and the Countess have swapped outfits to execute the final part of their plan. They each try to seduce the other's husband. Picture: Robert Workman

23. The Count is fooled

There's a woman in a wedding dress on stage, so it must be Susanna, right? That's what the Count thinks, at least, so he gives her a gold ring and sneaks off with her. Little does he know: it's actually his wife in disguise. Picture: Robert Workman

24. Susanna falls for her own tricks

Meanwhile, 'the Countess', aka Susanna in someone else's dress, enters. Figaro isn't fooled by his bride's disguise, but plays along with the joke and starts to seduce her. Susanna falls for his trick and slaps him, but forgives him when he explains he recognised her voice immediately. The duo decide to see out the comedy together. Picture: Robert Workman

25. A happy ending

Figaro loudly proclaims his love for the Countess, which angers the Count. Bartolo, Basilio and Antonio arrive with torches and weapons, begging him to forgive Figaro. When he refuses, the real Countess arrives, wearing the same gold ring the Count gave to the woman he thought was Susanna. The Count realises he's been found out, and begs for forgiveness. Luckily, the Countess takes the moral high ground and forgives her husband, and all the married couples celebrate with a party. Picture: Robert Workman