Following on from another season in which the company has received almost unanimously positive reviews, Opera North has announced its plans for the 2007-8 season and beyond.
And in spite of the Government's delayed decision as to the future financing of the arts in this country, the company's plans include five new productions and an ambitious Shakespeare festival.
The latter involves the performance of five operas inspired by the bard's plays, starting with a revival of Matthew Warchus' production of Verdi's Falstaff in the autumn. Acclaimed British baritone Robert Hayward - who was the star of English National Opera's most recent Ring Cycle - returns to Opera North in the title role and is joined by Susannah Glanville as Alice Ford and upcoming Icelandic baritone Olafur Sigurdarson as Ford. Music Director Richard Farnes conducts this beloved production, which is performed in English.
To resolve the financial problems forced on the company, Johan Engels will design an integrated environment for the three Shakespearean operas that are planned for the spring 2008 season. This will also allow the company to perform two different operas on the same day.
Tim Albery will direct a new production of Verdi's sensational Macbeth, and is joined by Robert Hayward in the title role and Richard Farnes as conductor. Peter Auty, who was stunning in the most recent revival of ENO's production of Rigoletto, will sing Macduff, while Peter Wedd is Malcolm; the production is sung in Italian. Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream is to be directed by Martin Duncan and conducted by Stuart Stratford; former Royal Opera Young Artist Grant Doyle's Demetrius is just one of the many exciting casting choices. Finally, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette gets a welcome UK staging by John Fulljames, while the lovers are played by Leonardo Capalbo and Bernarda Bobro. Martin André conducts.
The climax of the Shakespeare season will be a new production of Bellini's bel canto masterpiece I Capuleti e I Montecchi; the latest issue of Opera magazine says that Sarah Connolly and Sarah Tynan will be taking the lead roles, though this has not been confirmed.
Joining Falstaff on the Autumn 2007 tour are a new production of Madama Butterfly, directed by Tim Albery and starring Anne Sophie Duprels (who was incomparable in recent Opera Holland Park productions), and an exciting new production of a neglected opera by the baroque composer Reinhard Keiser, called The Fortunes of King Croesus. This is typical of Opera North's inventive and ambitious programming; Tim Albery will direct and baroque specialist Harry Bicket will conduct this unusual piece, which stars Gillian Keith and Paul Nilon.
One of the company's most successful recent productions, Phyllida Lloyd's interpretation of Britten's Peter Grimes, is returning by popular demand in the Winter 2007-8 season. Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Grimes), Giselle Allen (Ellen Orford), Alan Oke (Bob Boles) and Richard Angas (Swallow) all return to their roles. The production will be seen twice in London.
Joining it is the world premiere of a new opera by Jonathan Dove, The Adventures of Pinocchio. Sung in English, the production is directed by Martin Duncan and conducted by David Parry; Mary Plazas is The Blue Fairy to Victoria Simmonds' Pinocchio. Madama Butterfly returns for further performances in the Winter tour, again starring Anne Sophie Duprels.
The Orchestra of Opera North has a full concert diary for the season, too, with performances in Ripon Cathedral, Huddersfield Town Hall and The Sage Gateshead. Contemporary composer Mira Calix has written a new opera for the cult puppet theatre company Faulty Optic, which will premiere on 4 July 2007 at the Library Theatre in Manchester. In addition, the company's important education and outreach programme includes a touring production of Hansel and Gretel, specifically aimed at families and children. All of this is possible thanks to the generous funding of bodies such as The Manchester Airports Group, Yorkshire Bank, Sutcliffe Play, the University of Leeds and Brewin Dolphin Securities.
I urge you not to miss the exciting activities of one of Britain's most underrated yet hardworking arts organisations.