Giacomo Puccini’s opera Manon Lescaut was based on a novel by Abbé Prévost that took eighteenth-century France by storm for its scandalous depiction of illicit love. The story is a devastating depiction of a woman wrestling with her desire for love on her own terms, and the rigid double standards imposed on her by society but who is ultimately doomed by her own greed.

English Touring Opera’s semi-staged production is directed by Jude Christian and is performed in English, with surtitles, in Christian’s sharp, poetic new translation, and conducted by ETO Music Director Gerry Cornelius.

Cast

Jenny Stafford, Manon
Gareth Dafydd Morris, Des Grieux
Aidan Edwards, Lescaut
Edward Hawkins, Geronte
Brenton Spiteri, Edmondo
Cicely Hé, Singer & Ensemble
David Horton, Dance Master & Ensemble
Amy J Payne, Naval Captain
Phil Wilcox, Ensemble & Sergeant, Lescaut (Cover), Innkeeper (Cover)
Edward Jowle, Ensemble & Innkeeper, Sergeant (Cover)
Julia Mariko, Lamplighter & Ensemble
Ensemble
Rachel Speirs, Shafali Jalota, Judy Louie Brown, Morgana Warren-Jones, Jack Dolan, Sandeep Gurrapadi, Masimba Ushe

Tickets £28, concessions £26, plus booking fee, available online or from Gala Theatre Box Office

English Touring Opera are also performing The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky on Tuesday 26 March. There is a double ticket offer of £46 for both (book both operas in the same transaction at the Gala, and the discount is applied at checkout).

More details about The Rake’s Progress