Leoncavallo: Pagliacci

Art imitates life in English Touring Opera’s new production of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci which packs passion, melodrama and revenge into an intense 90 minutes of drama.

When Canio, leader of a theatre troupe, sees his life reflected in rehearsals for an upcoming opera, he becomes convinced that his wife is having an affair. Can Canio temper his spiralling emotions, or will his jealousy get the better of him?

Ripped from the headlines about a real-life crime case from composer Ruggero Leoncavallo’s own childhood, Pagliacci packs passion, melodrama and revenge into an intense 90 minutes of drama. Eleanor Burke (founder of the pioneering sustainable opera company, Green Opera) makes her directorial debut with ETO alongside ETO Music Director Gerry Cornelius.

The evening begins with the premiere of Reimagining Pagliacci by the award-winning Streetwise Opera, who use opera to inspire and empower people experiencing homelessness in London, Manchester and Nottingham.

This project is a collaboration with English Touring Opera, featuring music co-created by composers Electra Perivolaris and Francesca ​Le Lohé, working with individuals who are or have been homeless. The 15-minute performance, supported by ETO Orchestra, is directed by Anna Morrissey (Last Days, RBO), with musical direction by Aga Serugo-Lugo.

Streetwise Opera participants have been working over the last year to respond to Leoncavallo’s classic opera, boldly reframing the story and the characters from a modern perspective.

Presented by English Touring Opera.