Opera North: Falstaff, Masque of Might and La Rondine

This November, Opera North return to The Lowry with a series of enchanting shows spanning Shakespeare, climate change and Puccini.

On Wed 15 Nov (7pm) and Sat 18 Nov (2pm), audiences are invited to join Shakespeare’s charming vagabond Falstaff in a mischievous, irreverent comic opera which follows Windsor’s least eligible bachelor in a wildly hubristic attempt to seduce two wealthy wives. Profoundly unimpressed, the young women hatch a plan to teach the mendacious rogue an unforgettable lesson. Set to Verdi’s sparklingly energetic and darkly humorous score, Falstaff promises a riotous ride through a classic tale.

On Thu 16 Nov, Opera North presents Masque of Might, a ‘fantastical tale of power and the demise of the planet’ with the music of Henry Purcell inventively assembled by world-renowned opera director and librettist, Sir David Pountney. Taking place on a repurposed set and featuring re-used costumes and props, this witty new opera draws inspiration from 17th century variety shows – ‘masques’ – to tell the David-and-Goliath story of the battle between a climate-denying tyrant and a dedicated eco-warrior.

On Fri 17 November, Opera North resurrects the heady excess of 1930s Paris for Puccini’s glitzy rom-com, La rondine. While Magda, mistress to a wealthy banker, gambles on true love with the sensuous Ruggero, her maid explores her own feelings in pursuit of a charming poet. Featuring some of Puccini’s finest music, including ‘Chi il bel sogno di Doretta’, the new upstairs-downstairs production from Jamie Hurley brings warmth and excitement to a timeless tale of passion and scandal.