Our long-awaited Autumn 2025 Season is on the horizon, and we’ve got two equally electrifying productions in store for you! However, the heartbreaking Tosca and the dazzling Candide are worlds apart from each other, with contrasts in terms of musicality, themes and beyond. This might leave you wondering ‘which opera is for me?’. Read on to find out…
Tosca
If you’re a fan of dramas, thrillers and tragedies, Tosca will hit the spot. The opera is set in Rome and centres around a pair of lovers, Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi, and Scarpia, the nasty Chief of Police who wants Tosca for himself. With a political fugitive thrown into the mix, this story is full of drama and tension, and is sure to keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Tosca is sung in Italian, so it’s a good choice if you enjoy Italian operas, particularly others composed by Puccini such as La bohème and Madam Butterfly. It is also what many would consider to be one of the most iconic operas, so it’s a great place to start if you’re a newcomer. Full of beautiful, passionate arias like Vissi d’arte and E lucevan le stelle, the music will absorb you deep into the emotion of the storyline. If you’re prone to tears, we would advise bringing a pack of tissues along!
Lastly, for those interested in design, the performance is visually stunning. The most prominent feature of the set is a huge golden dome with a fresco of Mary Magdalene painted on its inside, which dominates the stage with breathtaking grandeur. There is also clever use of light and dark to help create a shifting atmosphere. Essentially, it’s a treat for the eyes.
Candide
Candide, meanwhile, is perfect for those who want to be taken on an adventure. Vibrant and chaotic, the story, originally written by Voltaire, transports you to many places including Lisbon, Paris, Buenos Aires and Venice. During this round-the-world journey, the naïve Candide and his friends face all kinds of trials and tribulations as they learn more about life than they ever could have from Dr Pangloss, their not-so-wise teacher and philosopher. The story is highly entertaining, if absurd at times, but it is also profound, encouraging you to reflect on your place in the world.
We would also recommend Candide if you’re a fan of musicals. Composed by Bernstein, the man behind West Side Story and On the Town, Candide blends genres, not quite fitting into the category of opera or musical but bringing the best of both worlds. So, if you’re not sure classic opera is your thing, why not give this one a go? You might just fall in love with it!
One component that makes our production of Candide truly stand out is the use of animations. Throughout the whole performance, intricate and colourful animations, created by illustrator and animator Grégoire Pont, are projected onto chains which hang from the stage. These animations help bring the story to life, completely transforming the space with every scene. Thus, if you’re someone who enjoys creative storytelling, we think you will love Candide!
So, what will you choose? The drama or the journey? The classic or the hybrid? Let us know. And remember, if you can’t decide, you can always try both!
