The Capulets and the Montagues

We are delighted to be welcoming audiences to Bellini’s The Capulets and The Montagues this spring, and into the space that we have created to explore Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

When approaching the piece, we decided that we wanted to challenge the story that Shakespeare has created, which lives in the imagination of the British people. We wanted to present the characters of Romeo and Juliet living in a space of violence, but also amongst very intimate family drama.

For us, the sense of violence as a means of survival that runs throughout the narrative evoked images of Italian-American New York, the mafia, and the cinematic influence of Martin Scorsese. Our Designer Lily Arnold has really brought this vision to life, creating a vibrant and visceral world, filled with character. Audiences can look forward to this design transforming as the story deconstructs.

We hope that with this cinematic influence, there will be a very relatable frame for audiences to view our opera through. We meet the Capulets at the end of their reign over the streets of New York, as they face a loss of control. We see them navigate their way through the intergenerational conflict that sits at the heart of Bellini’s opera, and how this impacts the lives of two young people, longing for love and escape.

If you think you know Romeo and Juliet, think again. Come along to see The Capulets and The Montagues this spring, and challenge your own perceptions of a classic.

Eloise Lally

What Dreams May Come

What Dreams May Come is a brilliant bridge between the worlds of theatre and opera. The title of the piece comes from a famous line in Hamlet: “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come”, and it explores many big themes like love, loss, meaning of life, death and what it means to be human.

It uses an eclectic mixture of music - from art songs to mesmeric choral pieces - performed using puppetry and physical storytelling, all inspired by Shakespeare’s words, worlds and characters. In the piece, we show a day in the life of an older man recovering in hospital. We don’t know who he is or why he’s there, but we see him visited by the hospital staff and his family. As he drifts in and out of consciousness we see him dream about and remember moments from his life. Through flashbacks, we see him fall in love, have his heart broken - we see moments of great joy and moments of deep sorrow. And through it all he is haunted by a mysterious woman in red. As the sun sets he is visited by her one last time, she gently wakes him up and they reconnect. She is his long lost love. He then dies and they walk off in the sunset together.

The use of puppetry opens up a way of empathising and relating to the story. Sometimes we need to remove a story from ourselves in order to relate to it more. Puppetry does this. It awakens our humanity and, in this production, it helps us connect with the music. By focusing on the puppet and how he is feeling the audience will be able to access the atmosphere of the songs, and emotionally connect to the words and music. There is an alchemy that happens when the music almost seems to animate the puppet that I think is very powerful and accessible.

Valentina Ceschi

The Vanishing Forest

The Vanishing Forest is a magical, funny and heartfelt story about a family rediscovering what’s important. Theo, Cassie and Mylas are three siblings, setting out for one final night of camping in their special woodland, before it’s all chopped down. But there is magic in the forest, and nothing is straightforward when fairy Puck gets involved…

With body-swapping, sibling rivalry, and spells galore, Jonathan Ainscough’s libretto is as funny and relatable as it is touching. Written as a continuation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, fans of The Bard will enjoy spotting familiar characters and references in this Shakespeare-infused opera. But The Vanishing Forest is also a stand-alone story, which you can enjoy whether or not you’ve ever heard of Shakespeare.

Michael Betteridge’s music is playful and beautiful – it’s written for cello, clarinet, vibraphone and marimba, and audiences will have the pleasure of seeing these spectacular instruments up close. The musicians play live from within the trees, with the singers weaving the action around them. For those who’d like to get involved, there are several moments where the audience is invited to join in (though if this sounds like your idea of a nightmare – don’t worry, it’s not compulsory!)

The woodland setting is brought to life through Rachel Baynton’s nature-inspired design, featuring a set made from real coppiced trees, and gorgeous animal puppets by Jimmy Grimes. The Vanishing Forest explores themes of deforestation in a relatable and accessible way, by following the siblings’ journey. We hope the show will inspire audiences to reflect on our relationship with the natural world, and the importance of protecting our forests.

The Vanishing Forest is written for ages 7-11, but the whole family can enjoy it. It’s a perfect introduction to opera - with a great story, beautiful music, characters we can all relate to…and a little bit of magic.

Victoria Briggs

Book now for Spring 2025