Performer: Dennis Wilgenhof

Daniele Gatti is the winner of the night, managing to draw an astounding outcome from a far from ideal cast.

To celebrate its 50th birthday Dutch National Opera put on a festive tribute to the people that have made it the innovative and much-admired house it is today.

Martijn Padding's opera Laika is let down by its libretto, which illustrates that though authors may write successful novels, this doesn’t necessarily imply they can also produce good theatre texts.