Welsh National Opera: The Anonymous Lover

Welsh National Opera are bringing The Anonymous Lover to the Weston Studio at the Wales Millennium Centre on 4, 6 and 12 March 2027. It's a joint production with Theatr Cymru, and it's a bit of a rarity: a romantic comedy opera, and the only surviving opera by the French composer Joseph Bologne.

The story centres on Léontine, a wealthy widow who's decided she's done with love after an unhappy marriage. She's drawn back in by a series of mysterious letters and gifts from her friend Valcour, who keeps his identity a secret for fear of being rejected. It's a classic setup — the secret admirer, the hesitation, the slow thaw — and it's played out as a comedy rather than a tragedy.

What makes this production stand out is how they've staged it. The orchestra is on stage, right there with the singers, in a baroque-inspired world. They're staying faithful to Bologne's elegant score but adding a fresh, contemporary voice that speaks directly to the audience. The text is new, by Tife Kusoro, and the whole thing is sung in French with surtitles in English and Welsh, so you'll follow the story regardless of where your French is at. Nardus Williams takes the lead as Léontine, with Frederick Brown conducting and Laurence Cumings as musical supervisor. Omar Elerian directs.

There are three performances to choose from — 4, 6 and 12 March — and they all start at 7.30pm. Each one runs about 2 hours and 20 minutes, including an interval, so you're looking at a full evening's out. If you're not a regular opera-goer, this is a good one to start with: it's a comedy, the orchestra is right in front of you, and the surtitles do the heavy lifting.