Scottish Opera completes its 2010/11 season in style with Verdi’s operatic blockbuster, Rigoletto.

With a strong principal cast supported by a male chorus of 23, 63 musicians and massively popular arias like La donne è mobile and Caro nome, this new production of Verdi’s epic tragedy will open at the Theatre Royal Glasgow on Wednesday 11 May.

Rigoletto is one of the most performed operas in the world, and with good reason. It is a powerful tale of innocence lost, vengeance found and the inevitability of fate – brought to life through a gripping combination of dark theatricality and sublime music.

Baritone Eddie Wade makes his dèbut in the title role; with Edgaras Montvidas returning to Scottish Opera as The Duke after charming audiences and critics in 2009’s The Elixir of Love; and Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Nadine Livingston – who has consistently won rave reviews in her principal roles for the company over the past 18 months – as Gilda.

Tobias Ringborg, familiar to Scottish audiences from the Company’s production of Così fan tutte in 2009, conducts while Matthew Richardson – responsible for bringing Zoe Strachan and Nick Fells’ Sublimation, as well as Ron Butlin and Lyell Cresswell’s The Money Man to the stage in the Company’s Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland in 2010 – directs.

Join Scottish Opera for Rigoletto Unwrapped – an hour long, free introduction to opera – on Friday 3 June (His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen) and Friday 10 June (Eden Court Theatre, Inverness). Presented on an alternative night to performances, Unwrapped gives new audiences and interested opera attendees a fascinating chance to get a glimpse into each new production with singers and The Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

Alongside this, the Company is also touring a free, 20-minute, pocket sized take on the full scale production to public and private venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.  A Little Bit of Rigoletto unfolds with a series of colourful illustrations and is brought to life by a storyteller, a singer and two musicians.  Venue and performance information will be available from www.scottishopera.org.uk.

Rigoletto is sung in Italian with English supertitles.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Theatre Royal Glasgow

Wed 11 May, Wed 18 May† & Sat 21 May,  7.15pm

Sun 15 May 4pm

Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 13 May 6pm

Festival Theatre Edinburgh

Tue 24 May, Thu 26 May & Sat 28 May*† 7.15pm

Rigoletto Unwrapped Wed 25 May 6pm

His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen

Thu 2 Jun & Sat 4 Jun*† 7.30pm

Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 3 Jun 6pm

Eden Court Inverness

Thu 9 Jun & Sat 11 Jun 7.15pm*†

Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 10 Jun 6pm

Running time approximately 2 hrs 40 Mins

*Pre-show talk

†Audio-described performance/TouchTour

www.scottishopera.org.uk

Source: Scottish Opera