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Illusion – theatrical illusion – is the theme of Pierre Audi's staging of Alcina, Handel’s beloved opera which finally makes its debut in Rome. 

Robert Carsen's minimalist modern reading of Gluck's masterpiece is a pure distillation of opera (and life) and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.

With unbridled imagination, Michieletto fills this usually-problematic space with a wealth of racy detail.

An unlikely coupling of one-act operas by Zemlinsky and Puccini bears fruit in a staging that reveals their thematic parallels while leaving their obvious differences on show.

Lord Sidney's contemplation of the insanity of the world seems to be the impetus for this delirious production. So endless is its stream of gags that to attend this show is to be left feeling exhausted.

Opportunities to see Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff come few and far between, mainly because the title role is an absolute killer for any tenor mad enough to attempt it. Step forward, Angelo Villari...

The task sounded Herculean: turning Benvenuto Cellini, that reputedly difficult, flawed work by Berlioz, into an utterly entertaining show that renders justice to its youthfully energetic music. This is what Terry Gilliam manages to pull off... and it is nothing short of miraculous.