What's On

Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece – compelling, blood-curdling and beautiful – is being performed for the first time on the unique, Bregenz lake stage. One of Verdi's most popular works, Rigoletto is an unforgettable tale of sacrifice and revenge; of a father's rage and a daughter's shame. It features several of opera's best-known arias-including Rigoletto's passionate denouncement "Cortigiani, Vil razza dannata," Gilda's dreamy "Caro nome" and the Duke's instantly recognisable "La donna è mobile." Directed and designed by Philip Stölzl, this timeless tragedy will delight audiences with a powerhouse combination of entertainment and emotional intensity from the spectacular shore of Lake Constance. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Please note this contains a sequence of flashing lights which might affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

Sexual intrigue, jealousy, wit, anger… and retribution! The new Royal Opera Season begins with Mozart’s engaging masterpiece, which follows Don Giovanni, the women he serially seduces, and the vengeance that finally catches up with him. The opera is renowned for its ever-shifting portrayals of complex characters, fast-moving action and mix of the comic and the heartfelt. A cast of international singers – both familiar and making Royal Opera debuts – under conductor Hartmut Haenchen perform the glorious arias and ensembles of this opera favourite. Sung in Italian with English subtitles Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Franco Zeffirelli’s celebrated production of Turandot, which stars Christine Goerke in the title role of the icy Chinese princess who has renounced all men. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 22 minutes

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Franco Zeffirelli’s celebrated production of Turandot, which stars Christine Goerke in the title role of the icy Chinese princess who has renounced all men. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 22 minutes

★★★★★ 'Witty, filthy and supreme.' Guardian See the hilarious, award-winning, one-woman show that inspired the BBC's hit TV series Fleabag, broadcast to the Regent Centre from London's West End. Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. Fleabag may seem oversexed, emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. With family and friendships under strain and a guinea pig café struggling to keep afloat, Fleabag suddenly finds herself with nothing to lose. Playing to sold-out audiences in New York and London, don't miss your chance to see this 'legitimately hilarious show' (New Yorker), broadcast live to a cinema near you. Presented by DryWrite, Soho Theatre, and Annapurna Theatre Tickets: £13, Concessions: £12 Please note that this is a 15 certificate TBC

'The course of true love never did run smooth.' A feuding fairy King and Queen of the forest cross paths with four runaway lovers and a troupe of actors trying to rehearse a play. As their dispute grows, the magical royal couple meddle with mortal lives leading to love triangles, mistaken identities and transformations… with hilarious, but dark consequences. Shakespeare's most famous romantic comedy will be captured live from the Bridge Theatre in London. Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Oliver Chris (Green Wing, NT Live: Young Marx), David Moorst (NT Live: Allelujah!) and Hammed Animashaun (The Barber Shop Chronicles) lead the cast as Titania, Oberon, Puck and Bottom. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, this production of A Midsummer Night's Dream will build on the success of his immersive staging of Julius Caesar (NT Live 2018). The Bridge Theatre will become a forest – a dream world of flying fairies, contagious fogs and moonlight revels, surrounded by a roving audience following the action on foot. Please note this performance has been filmed live in front of an audience. Tickets £13, Concessions £12

Royal Opera favourite Bryn Terfel heads the cast for this new production of Donizetti’s comedy of domestic drama across two generations. The witty story of a middle-aged man whose supposed young wife runs rings around him – with her own ulterior romantic purpose in mind – has long delighted and surprised audiences, not least as presented with the sparkle of its music and the virtuoso skill of its performers. Damiano Michieletto’s exhilarating production shows how contemporary the characters still are and how immediate and touching the story remains. Sung in Italian with English subtitles Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Lisette Oropesa stars as the irresistible title character, the tragic beauty who yearns for the finer things in life, in Laurent Pelly’s revealing production. Michael Fabiano is the besotted Chevalier des Grieux, whose desperate love for Manon proves their undoing. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50 Approximate runtime 4 hours 12 minutes

From The Royal Ballet’s classical origins in the works of Marius Petipa, to the home-grown choreographers who put British ballet on the world stage, this mixed programme highlights the versatility of the Company. Petipa’s Raymonda Act III is Russian classical ballet summarized in one act, full of sparkle and precise technique, while Ashton’s Enigma Variations is quintessentially British in every way – from its score by Elgar and period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman, to Ashton’s signature style, the essence of British ballet. Concerto, MacMillan’s fusion of classical technique with a contemporary mind, completes a programme that shows the breadth of The Royal Ballet’s heritage Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Hui He stars as the devoted geisha who gives everything for the American naval officer, sung by Andrea Carè. Plácido Domingo adds another role to his remarkable repertoire, singing Sharpless for the first time. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 32 minutes

Hui He stars as the devoted geisha who gives everything for the American naval officer, sung by Andrea Carè. Plácido Domingo adds another role to his remarkable repertoire, singing Sharpless for the first time. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 32 minutes

42nd Street, the legendary Broadway musical theatre classic, is a ‘glorious’ (★★★★★ Express) and ‘utterly moreish extravaganza of glitz’ (★★★★★ Times). Telling the story of Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway, this is the largest ever staging of the Tony® Award-winning musical and it was filmed live at the magnificent Theatre Royal in the heart of London’s West End. Starring national treasure Bonnie Langford as Dorothy Brock and featuring iconic songs 42nd Street, We’re In The Money and Lullaby Of Broadway, this is pure musical magic on the big screen. Tickets: £16.50 & Concessions: £14.50

Featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from host of the The Late Late Show, James Corden, the hilarious West End and Broadway hit One Man, Two Guvnors returns to cinemas to mark National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday. Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Holed up at The Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple. Tickets £13, Concessions £12

The official report of all parliamentary debates. See two-time Olivier Award winners, Lindsay Duncan (Birdman, About Time) and Alex Jennings (The Lady in the Van, The Queen), in this brand-new play by Simon Wood, broadcast live from the National Theatre in London. It’s a summer’s morning in 1988 and Tory politician Robin Hesketh has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital scrapping quickly turns to blood-sport. Don’t miss this witty and devastating portrait of the governing class, directed by Simon Godwin (NT Live: Antony & Cleopatra, Twelfth Night) and part of National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday season. Tickets £13, Concessions £12

Phelim McDermott returns to the Met with a new staging of Glass’s Akhnaten, originally created by LA Opera, Improbable, and English National Opera, where it premiered, winning the 2017 Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 56 minutes

Matthew Warchus directs Andrew Scott (BBC's Sherlock, Fleabag) in Noël Coward's provocative comedy Present Laughter. As he prepares to embark on an overseas tour, star actor Garry Essendine's colourful life is in danger of spiralling out of control. Engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention, Garry's few remaining days at home are a chaotic whirlwind of love, sex, panic and soul-searching. Present Laughter is a giddy and surprisingly modern reflection on fame, desire and loneliness. This performance has been filmed live in front of an audience at the Old Vic. Tickets £13, Concessions £12

42nd Street, the legendary Broadway musical theatre classic, is a ‘glorious’ (★★★★★ Express) and ‘utterly moreish extravaganza of glitz’ (★★★★★ Times). Telling the story of Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway, this is the largest ever staging of the Tony® Award-winning musical and it was filmed live at the magnificent Theatre Royal in the heart of London’s West End. Starring national treasure Bonnie Langford as Dorothy Brock and featuring iconic songs 42nd Street, We’re In The Money and Lullaby Of Broadway, this is pure musical magic on the big screen. Tickets: £16.50 & Concessions: £14.50

A classic returns to The Royal Ballet repertory with Ninette de Valois’ charming and funny Coppélia – a story of love, mischief and mechanical dolls. The intricate choreography is set to Delibes’ delightful score and shows off the technical precision and comedic timing of the whole Company. Osbert Lancaster’s designs bring a colourful storybook world to life in this Christmas treat for the whole family. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

The Royal Ballet's glorious production of The Nutcracker, created by Peter Wright in 1984, is the production par excellence of an all-time ballet favourite. It is Christmas Eve and Herr Drosselmeyer the magician sweeps young Clara away on a fantasy adventure in which time is suspended, the family living-room becomes a great battlefield, and a magical journey takes them through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets. Tchaikovsky's glittering score, the gorgeous festive stage designs, and The Royal Ballet's captivating dancing including an exquisite pas de deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, make this Nutcracker the quintessential Christmas experience. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10 Recorded in 2016, this special performance celebrated Peter Wright's 90th birthday, and will be broadcast with new features.

André Rieu is celebrating a landmark birthday and is inviting cinema audiences all over the world to his party! 70 YEARS YOUNG is André Rieu’s ultimate concert featuring musical highlights chosen by the maestro himself from his illustrious career so far. This unique commemorative celebration will take you on an unbelievable journey around the world to André Rieu’s most amazing concert locations, including Schönbrunn Vienna, Radio City Music Hall New York and the Coronation Concert in Amsterdam. As part of the celebration, André Rieu reminisces with cinema host Charlotte Hawkins about his life, love and music, while taking his cinema audience on an exclusive tour of his home in Maastricht. Bring your friends and kick off the New Year together in style, in the comfort of the cinema, with the most wonderful music from the birthday boy – the King of Waltz! Hip hip hooray Tickets: £20.50, Conc. £18.50

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts William Kentridge’s new production of Alban Berg’s expressionistic masterpiece Wozzeck, regarded for its intense emotional power and brilliant score as one of the most significant operas of the 20th century. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 1 hours 57 minutes

This production of The Sleeping Beauty has been delighting audiences in Covent Garden since 1946. A classic of Russian ballet, it established The Royal Ballet both in its new home after World War II and as a world-class company. Sixty years later, in 2006, the original staging was revived, returning Oliver Messel’s wonderful designs and glittering costumes to the stage. Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky’s enchanting score and Marius Petipa’s original choreography beautifully combine with sections created for The Royal Ballet by Frederick Ashton, Anthony Dowell and Christopher Wheeldon. This ballet is sure to cast its spell over anyone who sees it. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Puccini’s opera of young love in 19th-century Paris is packed with beautiful music, including lyrical arias, celebratory choruses for Act II’s evocation of Christmas Eve in the Latin Quarter and a poignant final scene over which the composer himself wept. Richard Jones’s character-led production perfectly captures La bohème’s mixture of comedy, romance and tragedy, with striking designs by Stewart Laing. The cast features some of the greatest interpreters of Puccini’s bohemian lovers performing today, as well as former members of The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme. Sung in Italian with English subtitles Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess returns to the Met for the first time since 1990, in a new co-production with English National Opera and Dutch National Opera, hailed as a triumph at its premiere in London earlier this year. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 40 minutes

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess returns to the Met for the first time since 1990, in a new co-production with English National Opera and Dutch National Opera, hailed as a triumph at its premiere in London earlier this year. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 40 minutes

Choreographer Cathy Marston is previously an Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House and Director of Bern Ballett, and much in demand internationally. The inspiration for her first work for The Royal Ballet Main Stage is the momentous life and career of the cellist Jacqueline du Pré. A new work by Liam Scarlett, The Royal Ballet’s Artist in Residence, provides the second part of the programme. Sung in Italian with English subtitles Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

In the Met’s first-ever performances of Agrippina, Handel’s satire of sex and power politics, Sir David McVicar reconceives a production evoking a scandalous world in which the Roman Empire never fell but simply kept going right up to the present. Joyce DiDonato stars as the power- hungry empress. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50 Approximate runtime 4 hours 10 minutes

For the first time at the Met, Sir Bryn Terfel sings the role of the mysterious Dutchman, condemned to roam the seas for eternity, with Anja Kampe as the devoted Senta, whose love can set him free. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50 Approximate runtime 2 hours 44 minutes

Beethoven’s only opera is a masterpiece, an uplifting story of risk and triumph. In this new production, conducted by Antonio Pappano, Jonas Kaufmann plays the political prisoner Florestan, and Lise Davidsen his wife Leonore (disguised as ‘Fidelio’) who daringly sets out to rescue him. Set in strong counterpoint are the ingredients of domestic intrigue, determined love and the cruelty of an oppressive regime. The music is transcendent throughout and includes the famous Act I Quartet, the Prisoners’ Chorus and Florestan’s impassioned Act II cry in the darkness and vision of hope. Tobias Kratzer’s new staging brings together the dark reality of the French Revolutionary ‘Terror’ and our own time to illuminate Fidelio’s inspiring message of shared humanity. Sung in German with English subtitles Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Liam Scarlett’s glorious production of Swan Lake, new in 2018, returns for its first revival. While remaining faithful to the Marius Petipa/Lev Ivanov text, Scarlett’s additional choreography and John Macfarlane’s magnificent designs breathe new life into what is arguably the best-known and most-loved classical ballet. The entire Company shines in this eternal tale of doomed love, a masterpiece refreshed for a new generation. Tchaikovsky’s first score for ballet soars with its symphonic sweep and combines perfectly with exquisite choreography from the grand pas de deux of Prince Siegfried and Odile to the swans at the lakeside. An intoxicating mix of spectacle and intimate passion, the overall effect is irresistible Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Sir David McVicar’s bold staging of Puccini’s operatic thriller returns with star soprano Anna Netrebko as the passionate title diva, opposite Brian Jagde as her lover, the idealistic painter Mario Cavaradossi. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 17 minutes

Sir David McVicar’s bold staging of Puccini’s operatic thriller returns with star soprano Anna Netrebko as the passionate title diva, opposite Brian Jagde as her lover, the idealistic painter Mario Cavaradossi. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 17 minutes

Two opera classics are drawn together in this wonderfully observed re-creation of life in a south Italian village as a travelling theatre visits and emotions erupt. The award-winning production by Damiano Michieletto presents vividly the fast-moving, shocking events brought about by secret love and uncontrollable jealousy. The music is full of Italianate melody in the great choruses that bring the villagers together in celebration and revelry, alongside the solo arias and tense confrontations that provoke violence and tragedy. With thrilling singing and intense drama, ‘Cav and Pag’ distils into one wonderful night out, the enduring appeal of Italian opera in its most familiar form. Sung in Italian with English subtitles Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Donizetti’s drama, focused on the political and personal rivalry between two queens, returns to the Met with Diana Damrau as the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots, and Jamie Barton as her rival, Queen Elizabeth I. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions £16.50 Approximate runtime 3 hours 06 minutes

Dante’s Divine Comedy is an epic journey through the afterlife: it encompasses the horrifying drama of Inferno and its damned, the lyrical mysticism of pilgrims on mount Purgatorio and the dazzling spheres of Paradiso with their endless configurations of light. The poem was inspired by the agony of Dante’s own exile, and traces his path from crisis to revelation guided by his literary hero Virgil and his lost love Beatrice. In this new work, The Royal Ballet’s trailblazing Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor collaborates with an award-winning team – contemporary composer Thomas Adès, artist Tacita Dean, lighting designer Lucy Carter and dramaturg Uzma Hameed – to bring us closer to Dante and his extraordinary vision. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10

Strauss’s thrilling and audacious adaptation of Greek tragedy receives a new staging by the award-winning director Christof Loy. This uncompromising opera, about a daughter intent on bloody revenge and a mother driven to madness, has provoked critics to lively debate and both shocked and excited audiences since its 1909 premiere. Antonio Pappano conducts music that combines violence with moments of exquisite tenderness in his first Strauss interpretation for The Royal Opera since 2002. The outstanding cast includes Nina Stemme (Brunnhilde in last Season’s Der Ring des Nibelungen) in the title role, and Karita Mattila in her role debut as the haunted queen Klytämnestra. Tickets: £18.50, Concessions: £16.50, Child (under 16): £10