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Bluebeard’s Castle + Oedipus Rex

New TheatreOxford, South-East, OX1 2AG, United Kingdom
Dates/times in London time zone
Saturday 21 November 202619:30
Programme
Bartók, Béla (1881-1945)Duke Bluebeard's CastleLibretto by Béla Balázs
Stravinsky, Igor (1882-1971)Oedipus RexLibretto by Jean Cocteau, based on Sophocles' Oedipus Rex
Performers
Welsh National Opera
Lidiya YankovskayaConductor
Joe Hill-GibbinsDirector
Milla ClarkeSet Designer, Costume Designer
Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Duke Bluebeard's Castle

Nathan BergBass-baritoneBluebeard
Christine RiceMezzo-sopranoJudith

Oedipus Rex

Christine RiceMezzo-sopranoJocasta
Peter HoareTenorOedipus
Nathan BergBass-baritoneTiresias

In this powerful double bill, two extraordinary works of the 20th century are brought together in a shared world of ritual, mystery and psychological intensity.

In Bluebeard’s Castle, Judith leaves everything behind to be with the enigmatic Duke Bluebeard. She soon discovers his home is filled with locked doors and as she demands each one be opened, she uncovers not only the secrets of his past, but something far more unsettling. As darkness gathers, love and fear become impossible to separate.

In the second half, the same stark setting becomes the ancient city of Thebes for Oedipus Rex. A plague grips the land, and its king is determined to uncover the truth behind it. As his search intensifies, he is forced to confront a destiny he cannot escape. What begins as a quest for answers, becomes a devastating revelation.

Gothic, atmospheric and visually striking, this unified staging draws powerful connections between two timeless myths.

Ticket sale opens on 20 May

Reviews of Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Op.11 directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins

Welsh National Opera