Opera North: Verdi's Rigoletto

Opera North bring Verdi's Rigoletto to Leeds Grand Theatre from Sunday 18 October, with performances running through to Saturday 31 October. It's a production by Femi Elufowoju jr, first staged in 2022, and it's earned some strong reviews along the way: Bachtrack called it 'a landmark production', the Telegraph described it as 'a bold, innovative and purposeful re-imagining', and the Guardian went with 'chillingly excellent'.

The story is one you might know, but it's worth a recap if it's been a while. It follows a court jester who leads a double life: despised within a corrupt court, he's a loving and fiercely protective father in private. When those two worlds collide, bitterness and a quest for revenge drive him to try and outrun a curse. The whole thing is sung in Italian with English subtitles, and after the Leeds run it tours on to Newcastle, Salford and Nottingham.

Baritone Blake Denson takes the title role, and it's his Opera North debut. He's had a long road to the stage: he started as a percussionist at age nine, won major international competitions, and has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, the Opéra national de Paris and the Bayerische Staatsoper. He's joined by Sir Willard White as Count Monterone. Denson has spoken about why this production matters, saying it's important for audiences to see people of colour in leading roles beyond those written specifically for Black performers.

There are six performances in total, so you've got a few dates to choose from: Sunday 18 October at 2:00pm; Wednesday 21 October at 1:30pm, which is a relaxed performance; Friday 23 October at 7:00pm, an audio-described one; Sunday 25 October at 5:00pm; Friday 30 October at 7:00pm; and Saturday 31 October at 2:00pm. Each runs about 2 hours 40 minutes including the interval. Tickets start at £20 for those new to opera, £15 for Under 30s members, free for 16-20s, and £10 for children.