Synopsis: The peasant girl Giselle has fallen in love with Albrecht. When she
discovers that he is actually a nobleman promised to another, she kills herself
in despair. Her spirit joins the Wilis: the vengeful ghosts of women hell-bent
on killing any man who crosses their path in a dance to the death. Wracked with
guilt, Albrecht visits Giselle’s grave, where he must face the Wilis – and
Giselle’s ghost.
Peter Wright’s 1985 production of this quintessential Romantic ballet is a
classic of The Royal Ballet repertory. Set to Adolphe Adam’s evocative score
and with atmospheric designs by John Macfarlane, Giselle conjures up the
earthly and otherworldly realms in a tale of love, betrayal and redemption.
Running
time: 330 minutes (to be confirmed) Sung in German with subtitles
Synopsis: Raised by a scheming dwarf and unaware of his true family origins, a young
man embarks on an epic journey. Soon, destiny brings him face-to-face with a
shattered sword, a fearsome dragon and the cursed ring it guards, and a
Valkyrie forced into enchanted slumber...
Moments of transcendent beauty and heroic triumph sparkle in the third chapter
of Wagner’s Ring cycle, brought to life under Barrie Kosky’s inspired eye
following his spectacular Das Rheingold (2023) and Die Walküre (2025). Andreas
Schager, in his much-anticipated debut with The Royal Opera, stars as Siegfried’s
titular hero, alongside Christopher Maltman’s towering Wanderer, Peter Hoare’s treacherous
Mime and Elisabet Strid’s radiant Brünnhilde. Antonio Pappano conducts, drawing
out the unspoken tensions and ethereal mysticism of Wagner’s dynamic score.