Firstly, The Marriage of Figaro, then Peter Grimes, taking us on emotional journeys.
CELEBRATING STRONG WOMEN:
The Marriage of Figaro – Mozart – at Leeds Grand Theatre 30 January to 28 March
A brand-new production of The Marriage of Figaro, which is surely the quintessential country house comedy, as well as being one of Mozart’s most popular operas. The composer’s sublime score fizzes
with high spirits while also plumbing the depths of emotion to express both the joy and pain of love
and desire.
Offering a light-hearted start to the year is a new production of Mozart’s much-loved The Marriage of Figaro, with audiences invited to enjoy a maelstrom of music, mischief and mayhem as Figaro and Susanna prepare to tie the knot.
This new production marks the Opera North debut of Louisa Muller, who will be directing a cast of singers who are also new to the company, including Hera Hyesang Park as Susanna, Liam James Karai as Figaro, Gabriella Reyes as Countess Almaviva, Hongni Wu as Cherubino and Jamie Woollard as Antonio. They will be joined by two returnees: James Newby (Demetrius, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2024) as Count Almaviva and Katherine Broderick (Brünnhilde, Siegfried, 2016) as Marcellina. This will be the first time Opera North has performed the opera in the original Italian.
Alongside the main production, Whistle Stop Opera: Marriage of Figaro, a short, fun, interactive version, will tour to venues across the North in the autumn.
Creative team: Conductor Valentina Peleggi/ Oliver Rundell; Director Louisa Muller; Set and Costume Designer Madeleine Boyd; Lighting Designer Malcolm Rippeth; Choreographer Rebecca Howell.
CELEBRATING POWERFUL STORIES:
Peter Grimes – Britten REVIVAL on 19 – 21 February at Leeds Grand Theatre
Although rooted in a small fishing community on the east coast of England, the conflict at the heart of Britten’s sea-swept opera is universal. The fisherman Peter Grimes is an outsider, torn between the dream of a conventional life with Ellen Orford, a local schoolteacher, and the truth of his own nature – at times visionary, at others violent. For the rest of the community, he is a channel for their worst fears and their deepest desires.
Winner of the South Bank Show Opera Award, Phyllida Lloyd’s soul-searing production was hailed as an Opera North classic when it was first performed. John Findon sings the title role, while Philippa Boyle and Blaise Malaba make their company debuts as Ellen Orford and Hobson.
Creative team: Conductor Garry Walker; Director Phyllida Lloyd; Revival Director Karolina Sofulak; Set and Costume Designer Anthony Ward; Lighting Designer Paule Constable; Movement Director Tim Claydon.
Marriage of Figaro photography by Tom Arber.
Peter Grimes photography by Bill Cooper 2013, including main image.
