Madama Butterfly at Grand Canal Theatre

An innocent love. A crushing betrayal.
Giacomo Puccini 1904

A Japanese woman, not much more than a girl, falls in love with Pinkerton, a visiting American naval officer. She sacrifices everything to marry him, but before long he’s gone back home to America. The woman, firm in her belief that he will return, waits for him with only their child for comfort. But when Pinkerton does come back, her faithfulness is rewarded only with betrayal, for with him he has brought his American wife.

Madama Butterfly contains some of Puccini’s most ravishing music, with the Humming Chorus and Butterfly’s aria Un bel di (One fine day) becoming universally popular outside the opera house.

With its exquisite set and costumes, and superb cast and creative team, this moving production received widespread praise when in was new in 2007. Touchingly beautiful, this tale of innocent love crushed between two utterly different cultures as resonates as strongly as ever in today’s world.

Conductor - Martin Pickard 13th and 17th March
Wyn Davies 15th March
Director - TIM ALBERY
Set Designer - HILDEGARD BECHTLER
Costume designer - ANA JEBENS
Lighting Designer - PETER MUMFORD
Choreographer - MAXINE BRAHAM

"Anne-Sophie Duprels offers a magnificently convincing interpretation of Butterfly....[her] singing blazes with more and more passion as the evening progresses…” The Times****

“If you love this great opera, don’t miss this production” Sunday Telegraph *****

Sung in Italian with English titles