Leonore has been waiting for news of her husband for two long years. Rumour has it he is dead; she suspects that he has been secretly imprisoned by a corrupt nobleman. In despair and hope, she takes matters into her own hands, disguising herself as a man and taking a job with the kindly gaoler Rocco. As Fidelio – the faithful one – her hard work earns Rocco’s respect, not to mention the affections of his daughter. Risking everything, can she rescue her husband and reclaim their lost life?

Beethoven’s only opera – a remarkable outlier in his expansive body of works – is a triumphant tale of freedom of conscience in the face of oppression, affirming the power of the human spirit to overcome the worst of circumstances. With its timeless message and soaring score, including the stirring Prisoners’ Chorus, Fidelio continues to take on new and varied meanings.

This new staging by director Ruth Knight and designers Yannis Thavoris (Marx in London! 2024) and Alisa Kalyanova creates a rich period-inspired world within which the vivid characters take charge of their destinies. The cast includes Julia Sporsén (Nixon in China 2020) as Leonore / Fidelio and Thorbjørn Gulbrandsøy (The Makropulos Affair 2025) as Florestan.