Verdi’s captivating opera returns to the Royal Opera House, where love and duty collide.
Background
Robert Carsen’s ‘transformative’ (Financial Times) production situates Verdi’s large-scale political drama in a contemporary world, framing power struggles and toxic jealousies in a modern, totalitarian state. Daniel Oren conducts Verdi’s monumental score, with Anna Pirozzi as Aida, Riccardo Massi as Radames, Ekaterina Semenchuk as Amneris and Amartuvshin Enkhbat as Amonasro.
An Egyptian Opera?
‘Cyprus; Spain; Jerusalem; Paris; the banks of the Euphrates; Mantua. The operas of Giuseppe Verdi are set in a variety of diverse locales, depicted in some detail in the set descriptions contained in the librettos,’ writes Francesco Izzo, in his Aida programme article. While many contemporary iterations of Aida have seen directors stage Verdi’s story of love and war outside of a more outdated ‘Egyptian’ (read: elephants, pyramids) landscape, Izzo acknowledges that there can still be ‘little doubt that when the curtain rises at the beginning of the opera a sizeable majority of the audience will be expecting to find some rendition of the set description found in the libretto: “A hall in the King’s palace in Memphis …A large gate at the back, through which the temples and palaces of Memphis and the pyramids are visible.”’
A stark spectacle
The appeal, surely, is spectacle, the grand columns of said temples and palaces and colourful dance and chorus scenes the perfect recipe for a crowd-pleaser. But strip this away – as in Robert Carsen’s stark and deliberately cold staging – and Aida, at its core, is still a rich and deeply immersive story. Much like Verdi’s other popular operas (think Don Carlo, La forza del destino and Rigoletto), Aida captivates audiences with its tragic love story and with its poignant exploration of the unbreakable bond between father and daughter. It is these enduring themes, in the end, that allow us to think of Aida not as an ‘Egyptian’ opera, but a human one.
Assisted Performances:
BSL interpreted and captioned performance - Wednesday 5 February, 7.15pm
Audio described performance with pre-performance touch tour - Sunday 9 February, 3pm
Important Information
This production contains themes of war and gun violence.Age Restrictions
Ages 8+. Children under the age of five are not permitted into our theatres. Children over age five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.Now taking bookings for performances from Tue 28th January 2025 until Wed 12th February 2025.
Show times for each day are below.
Mon
7.15pm
Tue
-
Wed
7.15pm
Thu
-
Fri
-
Sat
-
Sun
3.00pm
Bus routes: (Aldwych) RV1, 6, 11, 13, 23, 59, 68, 87, 171, 172, 188, X68
Night buses: (Aldwych) 6, 23, 188, N11, N13, N26, N47, N68, N87, N89, N155, N171, N551
Nearest rail: Charing Cross
Tube lines: Piccadilly
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Directions from Covent Garden :
(3 mins) The Royal Opera House is off Covent Garden piazza, which is visible from the tube station exit. There is a revolving door entrance at the piazza.
Car park: Drury Lane, Parker Street (7mins)
In congestion zone?: Yes
Air conditioned
Bar
Disabled toilets
Infrared hearing loop
Toilets
Wheelchair accessible
Please note: The location shown on the map is an approximate location of the theatre. In the majority of cases the theatre will be marked on the map so please make sure you locate the exact location yourself. If the theatre is not shown on the map please make sure you locate the correct road name and take account of the directions.
Aida
Royal Opera House, London
Running until: Wed 12th February 2025
Running time: 3hr 15min. Incl. 1 Interval.