The Marriage of Figaro

Synopsis

It is the wedding day of Figaro, the manservant of Count Almaviva, and Susanna, the Countess's chambermaid. Figaro discovers that the Count is attempting to exercise his droit de seigneur, an feudal 'right' whereby the lord of the manor takes the virginity of a bride-to-be. The Count has a convenient excuse to prevent the wedding in the form of Doctor Bartolo's housekeeper, Marcellina, who has lent money to Figaro on the condition that if he cannot repay the loan (which he has not), he must marry her. Marcellina is aided and abetted by Doctor Bartolo, who wants to exact his revenge on Figaro. (Several years earlier, as depicted in The Barber of Seville, Figaro helped the Count elope with Rosina, who was Doctor Bartolo's ward and who is now the Countess.)

Despite these problems, Figaro is determined to marry Susanna without the Count exercising his 'right'. Although Figaro must defer to the Count, the servant is intelligent and resourceful and, with Susanna's help, he devises a series of ingenious schemes to frustrate the Count's advances. The Count's anger is exacerbated by the gossip-monger Don Basilio, who makes provocative insinuations within the Count's earshot about the fact that the page-boy, Cherubino, is in love with the Countess (as well as every other woman in the castle, but especially the gardener's daughter, Barbarina). The Countess, meanwhile, is a somewhat tragic figure who feels utterly neglected by the Count and therefore, despite her sense of pride and duty, agrees to help Figaro and Susanna to expose the Count for the philanderer and hypocrite he really is.

Will Figaro succeed in marrying Susanna on their terms? Or will the Count get his way with Susanna? What about the money that Figaro owes Marcellina? And is there any hope of reconciliation between the Count and the Countess? These questions are resolved in a masterful plot driven by colourful characters and set to some of the most energetic and sublime music in the operatic repertoire. The Marriage of Figaro probably contains more well-known arias than any other opera, including 'Se vuol ballare', 'Non più andrai', 'Porgi amor', 'Voi che sapete', 'Dove sono' and 'Deh vieni, non tardar', as well as breathtaking ensembles such as the momentuous 20-minute Act II finale, where a duet becomes a trio, a quartet, and quintet and finally a septet, with each twist of the plot.

Tour Dates

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	Fri 10 Aug St Mary's Brownedge, Bamber Bridge, Preston
	Sat 11 Aug St Mary Magdalene Church, Woodstock, nr Oxford
	Mon 13 and Tue 14 Aug Haigh Hall, Wigan
	Thu 16, Fri 17 and Sat 18 Aug Lancaster Castle
	Mon 20 Aug Burton Manor, Cheshire
	Tue 21 and Wed 22 Aug Towneley Hall, Burnley
	Fri 24, Sat 25 and Sun 26 Aug Skipton Castle

Cast

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Figaro Francis Church Heritage Opera debut

Susanna Serenna Wagner Soloist in Viennese Evening and Operatic Extravaganza Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin Mimì in La Bohème

The Count David Palmer Don Alfonso in in Così fan tutte, Zaretsky/Gremin in Eugene Onegin Marcello in La Bohème

The Countess Sarah Helsby-Hughes Olga in Eugene Onegin (as mezzo-soprano) Musetta in La Bohème

Cherubino Wendy Sharrock Mme Larina in Eugene Onegin

Bartolo/Antonio Martin Lamb Colline in La Bohème

Marcellina Sioned Ellis Heritage Opera debut

Basilio/Curzio Adrian Lawson Benoit/Alcindoro in La Bohème

Barbarina Samantha Chambers Heritage Opera debut

Guest Director

Dean Taylor Guest Director for Eugene Onegin and La Bohème

Pianist

Paul Greenhalgh Pianist for Così fan tutte, Eugene Onegin and La Bohème

Artistic Director

Chris Gill Conductor for Viennese Evening and Operatic Extravaganza Producer/Director/Conductor for Così fan tutte, Eugene Onegin and La Bohème Translator of Così fan tutte and Eugene Onegin

Information

Indoor venues

All performances are staged indoors. At Skipton Castle, the chapel will be used, which has a roof but no windows. Audience members are advised to bring warm clothing for Skipton Castle. Waterproof clothing will not be necessary for any of the performances.

Refreshments

Interval refreshments are provided at all venues. In some venues, drinks will also provided before the performance.

Staging and costumes

Performances are fully staged and costumed. In venues where the audience would otherwise be on the same level as the performers, staging blocks are used to elevate the performers.

Accompaniment

Because of the intimate nature of the venues (with audience capacities up to 150), this is presented as a chamber opera accompanied by piano without chorus or orchestra.

Unreserved seating

Seating is unreserved in all venues. Audience members wishing to have a wider choice of seats are advised to arrive as soon as possible after the doors open (i.e. half-an-hour before the performance).

Delivery Policy

Tickets are posted within two working days of payment.

Refund Policy

In the unlikely event that a performance is cancelled, tickets will be refunded in full. Otherwise, tickets are non-refundable.

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