Opera North: Rigoletto

Opera North are back at the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November, with Verdi's Rigoletto taking the main auditorium. It's one of three times a year they tour into Nottingham, and this is the full-scale production they've been taking on the road since 2022. Critics called it a bold and innovative re-imagining when it first opened, and it's picked up awards along the way.

The story is one you've probably heard of, even if you've never seen an opera. Rigoletto is a court jester who lives two lives: a despised outcast in a corrupt court, and a fiercely protective father outside it. The two worlds eventually collide in a tale of power, devotion and revenge. It's sung in Italian with English subtitles, so you'll follow the plot regardless of where you sit.

There are a few things to keep in mind before you book. The production runs 2 hours 40 minutes including an interval, and it contains adult themes—violence against women, abduction and murder—so it's not one for the younger ones. There are also flashing lights in Act III, which is worth knowing if you're sensitive to them.

Tickets range from £34.00 to £81.50 across different price levels, but there are two ways to bring that down. If you're under 30, tickets are £10 with free membership, and there's a new-to-opera discount that brings them to £20. Both performances start at 7:00pm at the Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall on Theatre Square, NG1 5ND.