27 May

English Touring Opera (ETO) makes a welcome return to the Theatre Royal Bath this month bringing new productions of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut on Monday 27^th May and Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress on Tuesday 28^th May as part of its Spring tour. The season explores the temptations and pitfalls of the big city, both in the larger-scale productions which can be seen in the Main House, and in a new opera for children, The Great Stink, which visits The Egg with performances on 27^th and 28^th May.

On Monday 27^th May in the Theatre Royal’s Main House, ETO presents a radical, dreamlike interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, a devastating depiction of a woman wrestling with her desire for love on her own terms, and the double standards imposed on her by society. Packed with memorable music and heart-breaking drama, this new production presents a unique modern take on one of Puccini’s most loved operas.

The production is directed by Jude Christian – fresh from a critically acclaimed production of Titus Andronicus at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse – who also brings her sharp, punchy new English translation to the piece. Gerry Cornelius, ETO’s Music Director, conducts.

Soprano Jenny Stafford, whose previous roles for English Touring Opera include Despina in Così fan tutte, Melissa in Amadigi, Mimì in La bohème and soloist in their staging of St John Passion, sings the title role, with Gareth Morris as Des Grieux, Aidan Edwards as Lescaut and Edward Hawkins as Geronte in a cast of eleven.

ETO will host a Pre-Show Talk before both of the Theatre Royal’s Main House performances. The Pre-Show Talks at 6.30pm are free of charge to ticket holders, to book a place contact the Box Office.

Tickets for English Touring Opera’s performances at the Theatre Royal Bath are available from the Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Photo credit: Richard Hubert Smith