<img src='' title='Event Category: Opera' alt='' id='templ_icon_' width='' height='' /> Event Category: Opera

The Mikado

Charles Court Opera‘s highly successful production of The Mikado returns to bring ‘five-star heaven’ (WhatsOnStage) to Wilton’s Music Hall. 

Following their critically acclaimed productions of Iolanthe and Patience, the “masters of G&S” present their stylish production of one of the most loved of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic masterpieces. 

Behind closed doors at a British Consulate, the scheming Lord High Executioner is about to hatch one plot too far, with far-reaching and hilarious consequences for everyone involved.

Containing familiar songs including “A wandering minstrel, I”, “I’ve got a little list” and “Three little maids from school”, this punchy and hilarious satire promises to be a treat for operetta lovers and newcomers alike. 

Directed by CCO’s Artistic Director, John Savournin, and featuring a first class cast including Matthew Kellett, Catrine Kirkman, Meriel Cunningham, Robin Bailey, Llio Evans, Fiona Finsbury and Matthew Palmer, this is one production you definitely do not want to miss!

★★★★★ “five-star heaven” – WhatsOnStage 
★★★★ “This is a triumphant achievement both visually and musically” – The Stage
★★★★★ “This production simply cannot be bettered” – The Spy in the Stalls 

The Arcadians

An Edwardian Fantasy

Opera della Luna return to Wilton’s with their specially prepared semi-staged, rehearsed reading of the most successful  of all Edwardian musical comedies.   

Performed with an 11-piece orchestra, the singers will be in costume but sing from music which they carry with them.    

The company presented this version in 2018 at Wilton’s and it received a huge ovation from a packed house.    

“Though scores were to hand, the dialogue crackled and the costumes, blocking, and Michael Waldron’s effervescent conducting brought this Edwardian period piece to life. Maybe, somewhere amid the fun and froth, it even carried a message for modern Britain.”  Opera Magazine 

“The score is an absolute winner” The Stage

The Marriage of Figaro

In a new Yorkshire version by Ian McMillan

Mashallah! It’s Mozart…but not as you’ve heard it! 

Figaro’s getting wed to Suzanna. But his boss, the Count, has designs on her, neglecting his young Countess, Rosina. Can Figaro and Suzanna conspire to thwart the Count? And who is kissing the Countess down t’allotment! 

Set in 1970s Bradford, with a new translation by BBC3 star, Yorkshire’s own Ian McMillan, this orchestral reimagining seamlessly blends Western and Indian Classical instruments. Performed by an ensemble that combines expert musicians and singers from both traditions, this is a fresh twist on a beloved classic, authentic and true to Mozart and Indian Classical music.  

Following The Barber of Seville, praised as “an hilarious operatic treat” ★★★★ (The Telegraph), conductor Ben Crick and director Alex Chisholm continue to bring fresh life to familiar stories, with confidence, detail, and a real sense of play. 

The Elixir of Love

Waterperry Opera Festival, in association with Charles Court Opera, present

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE

A comic opera by Donizetti, with a new English libretto by David Eaton

Donizetti’s timeless comedy, The Elixir of Love, bursts to life in this beautiful new production, fresh from Waterperry. Produced by WOF’s and CCO’s Artistic Director, John Savournin, it is directed by John Wilkie and musically directed by CCO’s David Eaton.

Under the glow of lanterns and bunting, a lively fête transforms the stage into a village green beside a bustling chocolate factory.  Adina, savvy and independent, delights in her freedom, while the lovestruck Nemorino longs to be noticed.  When the swaggering Belcore arrives to claim Adina’s hand, and the charismatic Dulcamara offers bottled courage, misunderstandings multiply and passions run high.

The production is designed by Ceci Calf and lighting design is by Jake Wiltshire.

With an exciting young cast, including WOF and CCO favourites alike, including Madeline Robinson (Adina) Sarah Prestwidge 17th Sept, Xavier Hetherington (Nemorino) Matthew McKinney 18th Sept, James Geidt (Belcore), Maria Wotherspoon (Giannetta) and Matthew Kellett (Dulcamara), this is one not to be missed.

Instagram: @waterperry_opera_festival @charlescourtopera
Facebook: Waterperry Opera Festival  Charles Court Opera
www.waterperryoperafestival.co.uk/2026-the-elixir-of-love

The Chocolate Soldier

Presented by Opera della Luna

Music: Oscar Straus
New English book and lyrics: Jeff Clarke, based on George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man

Opera della Luna is renowned for its innovative and high-class staging of comic opera and operetta. Following last year’s sell-out The Mikado at Wilton’s, the company returns with a new production of an operetta classic.

Oscar Straus’s 1908 opéra bouffe is closely based on George Bernard Shaw’s classic anti-war play Arms and the Man. Shaw did not approve of his play being turned into an operetta and forbade any of his dialogue or his characters’ names being used. It was a very bad business decision on his part as The Chocolate Soldier, a worldwide success, subsequently earned a vast amount more for its writers than Shaw’s celebrated play ever did. Now that Shaw’s work is out of copyright, Opera della Luna have created a new version of the show, restoring much of Shaw’s witty dialogue, and re-instating his original characters. It was given in a rehearsed reading two years ago at Wilton’s and Opera magazine reported that it was brilliantly judged and executed. Timing and tone were spot on, and the musical numbers – in a new orchestral arrangement by James Widden, nattily conducted by James Ham – were confident and classy, the conversational idiom suave.

A new fully staged production; the first in the UK since 1940, when its run at the Shaftesbury Theatre was cut short when the theatre was bombed.

“there are comic twists and turns with every scene…. And the singing is glorious.”
“Every Opera della Luna show is a labour of love: every Opera della Luna show has youth, freshness and fun. Long may it flourish.”
Rupert Christiansen

Iolanthe

The “masters of G&S” and Off West End award winning Charles Court Opera, return to Wilton’s to present their enchanting production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s sharp satire of power, privilege and parliamentary democracy. 

The production is directed by renowned operetta specialist John Savournin, whose recent productions include The Merry Widow and Trial by Jury for Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park and D’Oyly Carte and CCO’s recent production of Patience. 

This witty and magical operetta tells a tale of forbidden love causing an absurdist fusion of two worlds – the magical fairies of Fairyland and a bamboozled House of Peers. Featuring some of Sullivan’s most glorious music, including ‘Oh foolish fay’, ‘If you go in, you’re sure to win’ and what is popularly known as ‘The Nightmare Song’, audiences can expect an evening of first class entertainment and riotous fun suitable for all ages. 

With a cast including familiar favourites to CCO audiences, this beautiful production is not to be missed.

★★★★ The Stage
★★★★ Broadway World

Production photography: Robert Workman

Website: www.charlescourtopera.com
X: charlescourt
Facebook: charlescourtopera
Instagram: charlescourtopera

Patience

Charles Court Opera

presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s

PATIENCE

or Bunthorne’s Bride

 

★★★★★ “Hilarity with class – the hallmark of a Charles Court Opera” Hackney Gazette on Patience

“The masters of G&S in small spaces” bring their beloved production of one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s funniest operettas to Wilton’s, for one week only, as part of the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations, following their magical production of The Magic Flute, this Spring.

Charles Court Opera are well known for presenting witty, exquisite G&S productions, and Patience is no exception. Directed by John Savournin, musically directed by David Eaton (the team behind the smash hit The Yeomen of the Guard at Opera Holland Park) and designed by Simon Bejer (winner of Best Opera at the Offies), audiences can expect first class performances from a terrific young cast, led by Catriona Hewitson in the title role (recently starring in Scottish Opera’s The Gondoliers), and a host of beloved CCO regulars.

Gilbert’s pen was rarely sharper than when he wrote this delicious satire on artistic movements, hero-worship and meaningless fads. Patience brims with biting humour, over the top characters, and music that is by turns toe-tapping and sumptuous. It is a satire of the aesthetic movement that gained the support of Oscar Wilde, which CCO brings into the 21st century in this inventive reimagining.

This witty, intimate and sparkling CCO production is not to be missed.

Charles Court Opera is no stranger to Wilton’s, as one of the leading chamber opera and music theatre companies in the UK. They are considered a champion of Gilbert and Sullivan, and recently collaborated with Opera Holland Park to present a smash hit production of The Yeomen of the Guard. They have received multiple ‘Offie’ awards for their productions in London’s off-west-end, and their productions have toured to venues ranging from pub theatres to concert halls across the UK, the USA and Europe, and they are committed to devising new work, education and outreach projects. Their notorious ‘Boutique Pantos’ have become a legendary part of London’s Christmas, known for their ‘off-piste’ nature and described by the Telegraph as “an annual madhouse”.

Production Photography by Bill Knight.

EMCA Presents Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera, a groundbreaking production that unites music, culture and storytelling in a powerful celebration of diverse voices. Written and composed by the visionary Helen Epega (The Venus Bushfires), this unique opera blends Nigerian Pidgin English, Patois, Creole, Cockney, Hip-Hop Vernacular and Multicultural London Slang with Western Classical music, creating a truly multisensory experience.

Follow the heroine Kenate on a journey of love, betrayal and redemption through an Afrofuturistic lens. This 90-minute performance features a stellar cast, including Helen Epega (Composer, Librettist, Lead Vocalist, Hang Drum), Richard Ọlátúndé Baker (AfricanPercussion), Abdul William (Steel Pans), Francis Angol (Choreographer) and Baba Epega (Executive Producer), alongside Louisa Martin (Soprano), Francesca Bartolo (Mezzo), Jacob Cole (Tenor), Ted Day (Baritone) and Elliott Park (Piano).

After sold-out performances across London and a triumphant return to Wilton’s Music Hall, Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera continues to captivate and inspire. Hailed as “incredible” by LondonTheatre1, “fantastic” by Daniel Neale, BBC and an “eye-opening experience” by Maxim, The Prodigy, this opera celebrates African culture, pushing the boundaries of traditional opera with its innovative sound and storytelling.

Join us for this special anniversary run—a celebration of music, culture and the power of
creative expression. Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera is an enchanting experience that will
stay with you long after the final note.

Instagram – @songqueen_apidginopera and @thevenusbushfires 

Book your tickets now for an unforgettable evening!

The Mikado

Photo credit: Mike Kwasniak

Presented by Opera della Luna

Following the success of The Parson’s Pirates, Opera della Luna returns to Wilton’s with its most vibrant and popular production yet: The Mikado.

This astonishing and inventive company have achieved nationwide recognition for their innovative and energetic shows.

Their Mikado is set in the zany sparkling world of modern fashion houses. With costumes inspired by Versace and Jean-Paul Gaultier, it promises a riot of gorgeous and bizarre creations. Sequins, stunning gowns, glorious singing, and, of course, the company’s inimitable brand of mad-cap humour!

Like all OdL’s work, the show is performed with a cast of eight multi-talented singer/actors, no chorus, and the company’s own ten-piece orchestral ensemble.

The Magic Flute

Presented by Charles Court Opera

Music by W.A. Mozart, in a new English version by John Savournin and David Eaton.

Celebrating their 20th anniversary Charles Court Opera make a welcome return to Wilton’s with their gloriously magical take on Mozart’s popular comic masterpiece, The Magic Flute, after their triumphant success with The Barber of Seville (★★★★ The Times). 

Set in the heart of the mysterious jungle, join intrepid explorer Tamino as he embarks on a journey filled with fantastical, magical creatures, where nothing is as it seems.  Sung in a refreshing translation by John Savournin (book) and David Eaton (lyrics), this utterly beautiful production, filled with enchanting puppetry, magic and witty surprises, promises to be an absolute treat for opera lovers and newcomers of all ages. 

Featuring some of CCO’s finest singers, with sumptuous designs by Simon Bejer, this is one you absolutely do not want to miss.