Featuring globally renowned quartets, festive classics and the return of Opera North, Manchester’s 2024 opera programme offers some of the best compositions and vocal performances across an unmissable calendar of breathtaking shows.
Here are the best opera shows coming to the city.
Make sure you check out our guides to the best ballet performances and theatre shows around Manchester this year.
This November, Opera North returns to The Lowry for another memorable run of mysterious, magical shows spanning Mozart, Shakespeare and Gilbert & Sullivan, following a wildly successful residency at The Lowry in 2023 and earlier this year.
On Wed 13 Nov, the decorated arts company kick off their Salford stint with an alluring, witty and triumphantly theatrical take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which the Fairy King and Queen Oberon and Tytania are embroiled in a woodland dispute so fierce it threatens climate catastrophe, while two Athenian women and their unrequited male interests escape the city for the freedom of the forest, dooming their messy relationships to further mystical misfortune.
The following evening, Opera North stages a riotous interpretation of Gilbert & Sullivan’s madcap Victorian melodrama, Ruddigore.
The badly-behaved baronet Sir Despard Murgatroyd has inherited an ancient curse which forces him to commit a crime a day or die an excruciating death, so when he discovers his long-lost elder brother, Robin Oakapple, he delights in his salvation. Unfortunately, the timid Robin is an unconvincing miscreant, and before long his feeble crimes awaken the pair’s exasperated ancestors.
Hailed as an instant classic upon its debut in 1887, Ruddigore promises a gleefully mischievous comedy-cum-ghost story guaranteed to delight opera lovers, theatre enthusiasts and musical fans alike.
On Fri 15 and Sat 16 Nov, The Magic Flute breathes new, enchanting life into Mozart’s wondrous family-friendly opera with a blend of popular music mixes, inspirational choruses, jaw-dropping vocal flourishes and deeply affecting arias.
The delightful story follows the adventures of Prince Tamino and his bird-catching companion, Papageno, as they embark on a quest to rescue Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, held captive by Sarastro, the Priest of the Sun.
As Manchester’s festive season gets into full swing, The Stoller Hall hosts revered singer and The Voice star Karl Loxley for an evening of rousing yuletide classics, with a programme featuring White Christmas, O Holy Night, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year and many more.
Hailed by Tom Jones as one of the best voices he’d ever heard, Loxley blew audiences away with his rendition of Nessun Dorma on the BBC singing competition in 2015, before launching a staggeringly successful career during which he’s performed at some of the most iconic venues in the world, while sustaining runaway viral acclaim for his interpretations of beloved songs on Youtube.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Fri 26 Jul 2024
On Tue 29 Oct, the world-famous classical crossover phenomenon present a once-in-a-lifetime concert at The Bridgewater Hall, performing a soaring selection of their greatest hits alongside songs from their new album in celebration of their 20th anniversary.
Appearing in Manchester as part of a nationwide tour, the dazzling quartet have captivated audiences around the world since 2004, showcasing their trademark virtuosity and peerless vocals at countless esteemed events from the Summer Olympics and FIFA World Cup to the Diamond Jubilee and the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball.
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