Opera's Heroines

A journey through some of opera's most compelling music and drama, exploring the face and fate of women in opera.

Opera Anywhere and Sorelle combine forces to present a dramatic evening of operatic entertainment. The first half of the evening tells the stories of feisty, wronged women determined to win back their love - or seek their revenge - at whatever cost. The traditional image of the tragic scorned heroine is pushed aside to make way for the women forging their own routes to happiness - no matter who gets in their way.

The second half includes a fully staged one-act Puccini opera, Sister Angelica, performed in English. Set in the Republic of Ireland in the 1950s, in a rural convent set deep into a superstitious and isolated community, Sister Angelica reflects the very real problems facing women in Ireland at the time. It is not their religion that drives the other characters to ostracise and persecute Angelica, it is their disgust at her social fall from grace and their refusal to face their own hypocrisy.

Despite its social-political background, at its core Sister Angelica is a story of the true love between mother and child, and also one of faith.

Run time: 110 minutes

Age recommendation: 12+