Concerts and comedy to enjoy near you at this year’s Leeds Opera Festival

Shakespeare will take centre stage at the renamed Northern Opera Group’s annual festival, with Charles Villiers Stanford’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ as headline production.

This comic gem will be performed in Morley Town Hall, featuring Charlotte Hoather, Catrin Woodruff and Phil Wilcox within the cast. Northern Opera Group’s artistic director, David Ward, will be at the helm, with Christopher Pelly conducting.

A new opera-theatre piece, titled ‘Musical Confusion’ will be premiered at Leeds Town Hall. This captivating performance will weave together text and song to bind Shakespeare’s original plays with many of the operas inspired by his works.

Other highlights include a live recording of the Operacast podcast at Chapel FM, and a concert of works by the leading nineteenth century composer of Shakespeare operas, Henry Rowley Bishop.

There will be a workshop day for local amateur singers, and numerous free pre-performance talks.

More details of the events to take place from August 23 to 27 this year will be announced soon. Tickets go on-sale on May 1.

David Ward said: “Shakespeare’s work has long been an influence for composers and librettists, and this year’s Festival is all about exploring some of those lesser-known operas inspired by the plays. To increase our reach we’re going to four different venues and communities – making this truly an Opera Festival for the whole of Leeds.”