170 minutes (no interval).

Sung in German with English subtitles

Director Barrie Kosky joins forces with conductor Antonio Pappano in a bold new imagining of the first chapter of Wagner's Ring cycle.

When a precious hoard of gold is stolen from the river Rhine, it unleashes a chain of destructive events, pitting gods and mortals against one another for generations.

Wagner’s Ring cycle boasts some of the greatest music ever written for the opera stage.

Join us as we embark on a spectacular journey into the world of myth, dream and memory, with the figure of Erda – Mother Earth herself – at its centre. Antonio Pappano conducts Barrie Kosky’s bold new imagining of Wagner’s Das Rheingold – which marks the start of a new Ring cycle for The Royal Opera – with an outstanding cast including Christopher Maltman (Wotan) and Christopher Purves (Alberich).

Courtyard Theatre
£16

•  30 Sep from £16

Live screening. 210 minutes (including one interval).

Sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Expect sun, fun and vocal acrobatics in Laurent Pelly’s much-loved staging of Donizetti’s intoxicating and witty comedy.

Country boy Nemorino is determined to win the haughty Adina’s heart, but she refuses to give him the time of day. Can Doctor Dulcamara’s so-called ‘elixir of love’ work its magic?

Conductor Sesto Quatrini makes his house debut, as does soprano Nadine Sierra in the role of Adina. She is joined by Liparit Avetisyan, Boris Pinkhasovich and the incomparable Bryn Terfel as the genial wheeler-dealer Doctor Dulcamara.

Courtyard Theatre
£16

•   5 Oct from £16

210 minutes (including two intervals).

Teeming with comedy, wit and an abundance of bravura choreography, Carlos Acosta's production brings the Spanish heat and romance of Cervantes' classic novel to life.

Don Quixote, based on Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel of the same name, regales the adventures of the eccentric nobleman Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza, as they help to bring a vivacious young couple, Kitri and Basilio, together. This energetic 19th-century ballet is enlivened by Ludwig Minkus’ spirited score and is a wonderful showcase for the virtuosity of The Royal Ballet's Principal dancers. Created for The Royal Ballet a decade ago, Carlos Acosta’s exuberant production featuring Tim Hatley’s characterful designs brings the heat and romance of Cervantes' classic novel to life.

Courtyard Theatre
£16

•   7 Nov from £16
•  16 Nov from £16

2 hours and 45 minutes (including one interval).

Join Clara at a delightful Christmas Eve party that becomes a magical adventure once everyone else is tucked up in bed. Marvel at the brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s score, as Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker fight the Mouse King and visit the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince in the glittering Kingdom of Sweets. Peter Wright’s much-loved production for The Royal Ballet, with gorgeous period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman, keeps true to the spirit of this festive ballet classic, combining the thrill of the fairy tale with spectacular classical dancing.

Courtyard Theatre
£16

•  20 Dec from £16
•  27 Dec from £16
• 1 more dates...

225 minutes (including one interval).

Sung in Czech with English subtitles.

This poetic, contemporary new staging of Dvořák’s lyric fairy tale reveals our uneasy relationship with the natural world and humanity’s attempts to own and tame it.

Rusalka, a water spirit, lives with her family in the pure waters of the forest lake. When she falls in love with a Prince, she sacrifices her voice and leaves her home in the hope of finding true love in a new world – a world that does not love her back.

Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee create a poetic, contemporary new staging of Dvořák’s lyric fairy tale, revealing our uneasy relationship with the natural world and humanity’s attempts to own and tame it. Semyon Bychkov conducts an all-star cast featuring Asmik Grigorian (Jenůfa) in the title role.

Courtyard Theatre
£16

•  24 Jan from £16

195 minutes (including two intervals).

Torn between her desire of a life of splendour and riches and her devotion to her true love Des Grieux, the feckless and capricious Manon pays the ultimate price.

This adaptation of Abbé Prévost’s novel embodies Kenneth MacMillan at his best, his acute insight into human psychology and his mastery of narrative choreography finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and urgent in their desire. The heroine’s struggle to escape poverty make Manon one of the most dramatic and devastating of ballets, emphasized by Nicholas Georgiadis’ evocative designs that reflect the juxtaposition between Manon’s impoverished origins and the lavish world she longs to inhabit. The 2023/24 Season celebrates the centenary of Nicholas Georgiadis.

Courtyard Theatre
£16

•  14 Feb from £16