New Production of I PURITANI Will Come to Royal Opera
Richard Jones directs the gothic staging at Royal Ballet and Opera, with Francesco Demuro and conductor Riccardo Frizza.
Olivier Award winning director Richard Jones will present a brand-new staging of I puritani at the Royal Ballet and Opera for the first time in 35 years. Jones has directed many of The Royal Opera's most successful productions, most recently the Olivier Award winners Festen (2025) and Alcina (2022), as well as long-standing productions of Boris Godunov (2016) and La bohème (2017). He transforms Bellini's work with a compelling, gothic new staging, exploring the tenderness of true love and the shattering anguish of loss. Performances run 30 June – 19 July 2026.
Acclaimed Bel Canto soprano Lisette Oropesa takes on the demanding role of Elvira, with virtuosic coloratura passages and otherworldly arias. She appeared in The Metropolitan Opera's I puritani in December 2025 to widespread praise, and has sung a range of acclaimed performances with The Royal Opera, including as Gilda (Rigoletto), Alcina, Violetta (La traviata) and Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor).
Italian tenor Francesco Demuro performs the role of Lord Arturo Talbo, with Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Sir Giorgio Valton, Andrzej Filończyk as Sir Riccardo Forth, Blaise Malaba as Lord Gualtiero Valton and Jette Parker Artist Giorgi Guliashvili as Sir Bruno Roberton. Mezzo-soprano Marcela Rahal makes her Royal Opera debut as Enrichetta di Francia.
Italian conductor Riccardo Frizza leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Chorus Master William Spaulding leads the Royal Opera Chorus . Frizza is both Musical Director and Artistic Director of the Bergamo Donizetti Opera Festival, and Honorary Conductor of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, and makes his debut with The Royal Opera as he celebrates 25 years of his career.
I puritani features set design from Hyemi Shin, costume design from Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design from Adam Silverman, movement direction from Sarah Fahie, and video design from Sasha Balmazi-Owen.
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