Performances of Welsh National Opera’s critically acclaimed new production of La bohème continue this Autumn Season together with the return of Ben Davis’s seaside-set Così fan tutte and Katie Mitchell’s fully staged version of Handel’s oratorio Jephtha.

WNO’s MAX department take doctor’s orders and bring music to the wards of a hospital for year two of our North Wales residency.

La bohème

Alex Vicens returns as Rodolfo and is joined by Giselle Allen as Mimi in Annabel Arden’s 1913 inspired pre-war production.  Highly praised by critics and audiences alike when it opened in Cardiff this summer, these further performances will see La bohème tour extensively in Wales and England.  This production also features David Kempster as Marcello, Piotr Lempa as Colline, Daniel Grice as Schaunard and Kate Valentine as Musetta.

Michelle Walton and Shaun Dixon will perform Mimi and Rodolfo at some performances.

Simon Phillippo will conduct, with Andrew Greenwood taking over the baton in Liverpool and Bristol.

Così fan tutte

A young cast features in Ben Davis’s 1960s British seaside version of Così fan tutte with Elizabeth Watts as Fiordiligi, Cora Burggraaf as Dorabella, Joanne Boag as Despina and Andrew Tortise as Ferrando.  In a change to previously advertised casting, Gary Griffiths returns as Guglielmo.  Gary, who recently won the chance to represent Wales in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition 2013, received critical praise for his interpretation of the role when this production was first performed in 2011.

Mark Wigglesworth will conduct all performances except in Llandudno, when James Southall will conduct.

Jephtha

British tenor Robert Murray makes his WNO debut in the title role of this revival of Katie Mitchell’s Jephtha. Set in a war ravaged 1940s Europe, Jephtha sees Fflur Wyn returning to the role of Iphis which she last performed for WNO in this production in 2006. The cast also includes Alan Ewing as Zebul, Diana Montague as Storge, Robin Blaze as Hamor and Claire Ormshaw as Angel.  Andrew Radley will perform the role of Hamor in Birmingham.

Paul Goodwin conducts, Thomas Blunt will conduct the performance in Bristol.

Full details from www.wno.org.uk