Un ballo in maschera
Opera and music
A murderous affair. Director Philipp Stölzl makes his Royal Opera debut with a playfully surreal new production, featuring costumes by Antony McDonald. Charles Castronovo, Malin Byström, Aleksei Isaev, Anita Rachvelishvili and Kseniia Nikolaieva star, with Jakub Hrůša conducting.
Tickets
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Dates
Location
Approximate timings
This performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes, including one interval.
Expand all dates
Monday 30 November, 7:00 pm
Wednesday 2 December, 7:30 pm
Monday 7 December, 7:30 pm
Guidance
More information available soon
Please note, as this is a new production, age guidance and content warnings may be subject to change.
Language
Sung in Italian with English surtitles, which are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Generous support from
Exceptional philanthropic support from
Royal Ballet and Opera Principal The Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from
David and Molly Lowell Borthwick, Max and Nicole Cartellieri, Charles Holloway OBE, Crevan O'Grady and Jane McClenahan and Royal Ballet and Opera Friends
Synopsis
The story of Un ballo in maschera
King Gustavo III is tormented by his love for Amelia, the wife of his closest friend Count Anckarstroem. His conscience prevents him from acting on his desire, but his mind is powerless to his passion. When Anckarstroem warns Gustavo of a deadly conspiracy taking shape, Gustavo ignores the threat. A visit to the fortune-teller Madame Ulrica Arvidson reveals good news: Amelia returns the king’s feelings. But Ulrica also warns that the next man to shake Gustavo’s hand will be his killer – and that man happens to be Anckarstroem.
Creatives
The artists and creatives behind the production
Composer
Libretto
Director and Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Movement Director
Discover
A feast for theatre. German director Philipp Stölzl crafts a visually arresting production that illuminates the inherent theatrics of Verdi’s stirring opera. Stunning costumes by Antony McDonald (Alcina, Hansel and Gretel) celebrate the uncanny, with rotating sets, also by Stölzl, echoing the propulsive movement of Ballo’s richly layered score.
Death on the cards
The history
Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) draws loosely from real historical events, recounting the story of Sweden’s King Gustav III (1746–1792), his assassination at the hands of aggrieved nobleman Jacob Johan Anckarström and the fortune-teller Madame Ulrica Arvidsson, who allegedly predicted the king’s tragic fate. This tangled web of passion and treachery, prophecy and politics perfectly set the scene for Verdi to write another characteristically moving and emotionally powerful stage work, its themes resonating strongly with those of his earlier opera Il trovatore and later opera La forza del destino.
Accessibility and resources
There is lift access and there are step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. Some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier are accessed by 9 steps or fewer. There are 10 steps or more to access seats in the Orchestra Stalls.
You can use the assistive listening systems in our auditoriums. Surtitles, captions and translations in English are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access to tickets and to inform us of your access requirements.
See our Accessibility page for more information or view a visitors guide (PDF, 12.0 MB).
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