Les Vêpres Siciliennes, Royal Opera House

As hard as it is to believe, Les Vêpres Siciliennes has never before been performed at the Royal Opera House. Now, in the bicentenary year of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth, his monumental five-act opera is coming to Covent Garden’s main stage in a co-production with the Royal Danish Opera.

Norwegian director Stefan Herheim’s imaginative new staging sees the opera relocated from 13th century Sicily to designer Philipp Furhofer’s spectacular recreation of the of the opulent 1850s Paris Opéra house – also the venue of the very first staging of Les Vêpres in 1855. 

With Russian soprano and celebrated Verdi aficionado Marina Poplavskaya playing the lead, Helène – bereaved of her executed brother and taken hostage by the French governor Montfort – it’s easy to see why this is one of the most anticipated operas of the season. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing her shine in ActV’s bolero, "Merci, Jeunes Amis": one of the opera’s several showpiece arias.

Hotly anticipated as Les Vêpres it may be, the road to Covent Garden has been far from smooth. Royal Ballet supremo Johan Kobborg was originally lined up to choreograph the opera’s unusually long ballet section– the 40-minute Les Quatres Saisons in Act III – but walked out in June after a fall-out with Herheim, taking all 32 Royal Danish Ballet and Royal Ballet dancers with him. The finished effort is the work of choreographer Andre De Jong and a troupe of freelance dancers. 

Behind-the-scenes drama aside, with Royal Opera House musical director Antonio Pappano conducting, and a world-class cast includes Erwin Schrott and Bryan Hymel, prepare for an unforgettable night. But beware: running to four and a half hours, this is not an evening for the faint-hearted. 

If you’re in the mood for this most elaborate of operas, hurry up and book – the Insights pre-performance tickets have already gone. And remember to arrive in time for the prompt 6pm start.

Tickets: £125–£195

Address and Map:  Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD

Nearest Tube: Covent Garden , Holborn