The Light in the Piazza, Royal Festival Hall

An all-star cast assembles for the London première of Tony-winning Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza at Royal Festival Hall this summer. Renée Fleming, the internationally-celebrated soprano who recently sang at the funeral of Senator John McCain, leads, accompanied by Emmy-winning Disney star Dove Cameron and British actor Alex Jennings (The Lady in the Van, Netflix’s The Crown).

On holiday from the American South during the summer of 1953, Margaret Johnson (Fleming) and her daughter Clara (Cameron) are exploring the city of Florence when a gust of wind carries Clara’s hat from her head and into the hands of a young local, Fabrizio Naccarelli. When he looks up at its owner and she back at him, the two fall in love at first sight.

The catch – when isn’t there one? – is Clara’s. Having suffered a severe head injury as a girl, Clara struggles with erratic pangs of mental and emotional instability, requiring the constant care of her loving mother. Wonderful as her romance may be, then, it threatens to destabilise her necessarily-sheltered existence.

For a tale of stymied, star-crossed young love, The Light in the Piazza couldn’t be further from the world of Grease. Think West Side Story: a rich and innovative orchestral score, meaningful commentary on cultural dissonances and a genuine interest in the difficult profundities of love.

Directed by multiple Olivier Award-winner Daniel Evans, it runs for just 20 performances – a sentimental-yet-sophisticated Italianate treat to usher in the English summer.

Tickets are available now.