Performer: Christophe Mortagne

With gloriously inventive sets and costumes, Alex Esposito’s splendid Four Villains drive a wonderfully entertaining new production.

The Royal Opera's season opener is a welcome return for Tchaikovsky's opera after nine years, and a house debut for American director Ted Huffman.

The star tenor is clearly under the weather, but the young house-favourite mezzo shines in an impressive role debut in a revival of Benoît Jacquot's cinematic staging.