Royal Opera House, London
Running time: 2hr 35 mins
Age Restrictions: This production is recommended for ages 5+
Tickets from £56.00
When Rodolfo, a penniless poet, meets Mimì, a seamstress, they fall instantly in love. Rodolfo introduces Mimì to his bohemian friends Marcello, Colline and Schaunard, and the group heads to Café Momus, where Marcello reunites with his ex-girlfriend Musetta. But the happiness of the friends – and of budding romance – is threatened when Rodolfo learns that Mimì is gravely ill. Can the warmth of friendship – and of young love – sustain the group of bohemians through the hardships of a cold winter?
With its Parisian setting, tender exploration of first love and both humorous and heartbreaking celebration of friendship, La bohème captivates audiences time and time again, making it the perfect choice for your first visit to the opera. Richard Jones' beloved staging returns, spotlighting the modernism of Paris on the cusp of monumental change and the intimate lives of the city’s Bohemian dreamers. Featuring soaring duets and poignant laments, Puccini’s breathtaking score is sung here by two brilliant casts, with conductor Lorenzo Passerini making his debut with The Royal Opera and Christopher Willis.
Puccini’s much-loved La bohème
La bohème received its world premiere at Turin’s Teatro Regio in 1896 and its Covent Garden debut the following year. Composer Giacomo Puccini was inspired by Henri Murger’s 1851 episodic novel, Scènes de la vie de bohème (‘Scenes of the bohemian life’). The libretto was written by playwright Luigi Illica and poet Giuseppe Giacosa. It is currently one of the best-loved operas worldwide, and the opera most performed at the Royal Opera House.
A timeless love story
With its soaring love duets, intimate arias and spectacular chorus scenes, Puccini’s timeless Parisian tale has enduring appeal to audiences throughout the ages. The opera’s beautiful score includes highlights ‘Sì, mi chiamano Mimì’ (Yes, they call me Mimì) and Musetta’s ‘Quando m’en vo’ (When I go along) – and Puccini himself wept at the music of the poignant final scene.
Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
Bow Street
London
WC2E 9DD
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in the London district of Covent Garden. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Originally called the Theatre Royal, it served primarily as a playhouse for the first hundred years of its history. In 1734, the first ballet was presented. A year later Handel's first season of operas began. Many of his operas and oratorios were specifically written for Covent Garden and had their premieres there.
The current building is the third theatre on the site following disastrous fires in 1808 and 1857. The façade, foyer and auditorium date from 1858, but almost every other element of the present complex dates from an extensive reconstruction in the 1990s. The Royal Opera House seats 2,268 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies and the amphitheatre gallery. The proscenium is 12.20 m wide and 14.80 m high. The main auditorium is a Grade 1 listed building.
Travel by train: Charing Cross. Nearest tube: Covent Garden
