Saison Cinéma Live 2025-2026 - Opéras et Ballets

All screenings: Complimentary champagne and cakes served during the interval

Programme 2025 - 2026 :

Wednesday 1 October, 7.45pm: Tosca by Puccini - Opera (duration 3 hours 30 minutes)
In a Rome ravaged by war, Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi live for each other and for their art. But when Cavaradossi comes to the aid of an escaped prisoner, the lovers make a mortal enemy in the person of Baron Scarpia, the chief of police. At the mercy of Scarpia's unhealthy desires, Tosca must submit to a despicable bargain: sleep with the man she hates in order to save the man she loves. Will she manage to escape? A prestigious cast featuring soprano Anna Netrebko as Tosca, tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi, and bass-baritone Gerald Finley as Scarpia, under the baton of Royal Opera Music Director Jakub Hrusa, conducting his first new production in this role. An alternative, modern Rome serves as the backdrop for Olivier Mear's exciting new production of Puccini's breathtaking work.

Wednesday, 5 November, 8:15 p.m.: La Fille Mal Gardée by Ashton - Ballet (duration: 3 hours 30 minutes)
Lise, the only daughter of the widow Simone, is in love with the young farmer Colas, but her mother has much more ambitious plans for her. Simone hopes to marry her off to Alain, the son of wealthy landowner Thomas. Determined to marry Colas rather than Alain, Lise manages to thwart her mother's plans. Sixty-five years after its premiere, the Royal Ballet presents Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée. This affectionate portrait of rural life, combining enthusiastic good humour with inventive choreography, is undoubtedly Ashton's love letter to the English countryside. La Fille Mal Gardée transports us to a world of bucolic bliss thanks to Ferdinand Hérold's joyful music and Oscar Lancaster's colourful sets.

Thursday 11 December, 8.15pm: Ariodante - Philharmonie de Paris - Opera (duration 2 hours 35 minutes)
Prince Ariodante is to marry Ginevra, daughter of the King of Scotland. He is falsely convinced of his fiancée's betrayal by the scheming Duke Polinesso, who acts with the complicity of her maid Dalinda. Desperate, Ariodante flees the court. Ginevra, unjustly accused, loses her mind when she is disowned by her father. Believed to be dead, the young prince witnesses an attempt on the life of Dalinda, a witness who has become inconvenient for the deceitful Polinesso. He begins to understand that appearances have certainly deceived him. His brother, Lurciano, challenges Polinesso to a duel and, before dying, Polinesso confesses his stratagem. Ginevra, finally cleared of all suspicion, regains her sanity and can at last marry Ariodante.

Wednesday, 14 January, 7:45 p.m.: Verdi's La Traviata - Opera (duration: 4 hours)
During one of her lavish parties, the famous Parisian courtesan Violetta is introduced to Alfredo Germont. They fall madly in love, and although she hesitates to give up her life of luxury and freedom, Violetta follows her heart. But the young couple's happiness is short-lived as the harsh realities of life catch up with them. Both intimate and sumptuous, La Traviata features some of the most famous melodies in the history of opera and showcases the soprano lead role, brilliantly performed by Ermonela Jaho.

Tuesday 3 March, 8.15pm: Giselle by Wright - Ballet (duration 3 hours 30 minutes)
The peasant girl Giselle falls in love with Albrecht. When she discovers that he is an aristocrat engaged to another woman, she commits suicide in despair. Her soul joins the Wilis, vengeful spirits of women determined to force all men who cross their path to dance until they die. Consumed by guilt, Albrecht visits Giselle's grave, where he must face the Wilis - and Giselle's ghost. Created in 1985, Peter Wright's production of this quintessential romantic ballet is a classic in the Royal Ballet's repertoire. Set to Adolphe Adam's evocative music and John Macfarlane's evocative sets, Giselle depicts the material and ethereal realms in a world where love, betrayal and redemption intertwine.

Tuesday, 21 April, 7:45 p.m.: Mozart's The Magic Flute - Opera (duration: 3 hours 30 minutes)
Princess Pamina has been kidnapped. Her mother, the Queen of the Night, tasks the young prince Tamino with rescuing her daughter. Tamino and his faithful sidekick, Papageno, embark on the adventure, but they quickly realise that when searching for love, appearances can sometimes be deceiving. Guided by a magic flute, they encounter monsters, bandits, and a mysterious brotherhood of men - but help arrives when they least expect it. Mozart's fantastic opera shines brightly in David McVicar's magical production. The prestigious cast includes Julia Bullock as Pamina, Amitai Pati as Tamino, Huw Montague Rendall as Papageno, Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, and Soloman Howard as Sarastro, conducted by French conductor Marie Jacquot, making her Covent Garden debut.