Puccini’s final masterpiece

Peking has become a terrifying place. Crowds fill the streets, baying for blood, waiting for public executions. The victims are men who have attempted to answer three riddles. The prize is the hand of the beautiful but cold-hearted Princess Turandot. The penalty for failure is death. These horrors do nothing to deter Calaf, son of Timur – a deposed king. Intoxicated by the beauty of the Princess, not even the desperate pleas of Liù, Timur’s servant, can waken Calaf from his trance. He is determined to answer the riddles, risking his own life and those who truly love him.

Turandot is the crowning achievement of Italian opera in the last century. It may be best known for Nessun Dorma but Turandot is filled with music of extraordinary power. If you enjoy other operas by Puccini, such as Madam Butterfly and Tosca, Turandot simply has to be experienced.

Christopher Alden’s spectacular, potent production sets the action of the opera firmly in the 20th century creating a portrait of a society suffocated by a brutal regime. The cast includes the return of Ann Shafajinskaia as Turandot and Rebecca Evans making her role debut as Liù. Music Director Lothar Koenigs conducts.

Sung in Italian with surtitles in English and Welsh.

Running time approximately 2 hours 40 minutes.

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Conductor Lothar Koenigs Director Paul Steinberg Lighting Director Heather Carson