This is The Royal Opera’s first complete presentation of Puccini’s Il Trittico since 1965. Il Trittico (‘the triptych’), first unveiled in 1918, represented an operatic departure where Puccini offered three contrasting one-act works instead of a single evening-length narrative.

Romeo and Juliet was Kenneth MacMillan’s first full-evening ballet and from its premiere in 1965 has been one of The Royal Ballet’s signature works, popular all over the world. At the beginning of the ballet MacMillan’s crowd scenes teem with life and colour. However, once Romeo and Juliet meet, everything else on stage can only be scenery for their story. Three great pas de deux: the meeting in the ballroom, the balcony scene and the morning after the wedding eloquently convey the narrative: adolescent shyness and fascination; the headlong rush of love declared, and the grief of parting. The final scene in the tomb, a pas de deux with a lifeless partner, is devastating. Nicholas Georgiadis’s earthy Renaissance designs, with some of the original details recently restored, are the perfect backdrop to this tragic tale of ill-starred lovers.

Verdi’s Aida is one of the most popular operas of all time. It premiered at the Cairo Opera House on Christmas Eve, 1871, and was an immediate commercial success. The plot of Aida is filled with political intrigue, love, betrayal, passion, and vengeance, and has captivated audiences for generations.

Fantasy, myths and morals are beautifully played out within Mozart’s enchanting fairy-tale opera The Magic Flute. Performed at La Scala, this production is given a brilliant interpretation by visual artist William Kentridge.