Welsh National Opera (WNO) will bring two shows to the Birmingham Hippodrome as part of their autumn season.
They will begin with performances of Giles Havergal’s original 1986 production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville on 19 and 20 October, which celebrates the show’s 35th anniversary. Havergal will be returning as director alongside Frederick Brown as conductor and Andrew Shore as Dr Bartolo.
They will be joined by Nicholas Lester as Figaro, Nico Darmanin as Count Almaviva, Heather Lowe as Rosina, and Keel Watson as Basilio.
While the former adopts more traditional routes, WNO’s new production of Madam Butterfly, which will be shown on 21 and 22 October, will be set in a dystopian future, exploring socially relevant themes of Puccini’s tale.
Soprano Joyce will share the role of Cio-Cio San with Alexia Voulgaridou. Joining them are Leonardo Caimi and Peter Auty as Pinkerton, Neil Balfour as Prince Yamadori and Anna Harvey as Suzuki. Tom Randle and Mark Stone complete the cast.
The director of Madam Butterfly Lindy Hume, expressed her excitement for the upcoming production: “It is thrilling to anticipate that moment of reconnection with the magnificent artists and audiences of Welsh National Opera with the creation of a new production of Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, a work of great beauty and brutality.”
Further information about the new season and where to purchase tickets can be found on Birmingham Hippodrome’s website.
Words by Katie Heyes
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