Ariodante
Cast sheet
Sunday 21 December 2025
|
2.30pm
Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet And Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
Generous philanthropic support from Philipp Freise, Charles Holloway OBE, Dame Tina Taylor DBE and Kathryn Uhde
Principal Partner, The Royal Opera
A co-production with Opéra National du Rhin and Opéra de Lausanne
Approximate timings
Music
George Frideric Handel
Libretto
after 'Ginevra, principessa di Scozia' by Antonio Salvi, based on Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem, 'Orlando furioso'
Conductor
Stefano Montanari
Director
Jetske Mijnssen
Set designer
Etienne Pluss
Costume designer
Uta Meenen
Lighting designer
Fabrice Kebour
Ariodante
Emily D'Angelo
Ginevra
Jacquelyn Stucker
Polinesso
Christophe Dumaux
Dalinda
Elena Villalón
Lurcanio
Ed Lyon
King of Scotland
Peter Kellner
Odoardo
Emyr Lloyd Jones
Actors
Peter Cooney, Hugo Dunkley, Cameron Fuller, Anna Guzak, Cecilia Young
Children
Arlo Drage, Alicia Freedman, Marco Giuliani, Anthea Milo, Shio Miminoshvili, Chloe Pujade-Lauraine Portocarrero, Bruno Remon Cohen, Magnus Robertson-Jones, Athena Thobani, Isaac Vasunia
Chorus
Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Master
Genevieve Ellis
Chorus Director
William Spaulding
Orchestra
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Concert Master
Sergey Levitin
Music preparation
Edward Reeve, Christopher Willis, Richard Hetherington*
Assistant Directors
Jean-François Kessler, Dan Dooner
Fight Director
Philip D’Orléans
Langage Coach
Barbara Diana
Patron
HM The King
Music Director
Jakub Hrůša
Director of Opera
Oliver Mears
Director of Casting
Peter Mario Katona
Associate Director
Netia Jones
Administrative Director
Cormac Simms
Synopsis
Princess Ginevra is blissfully happy in the luxury of the royal palace: she is in love with Ariodante and is about ...
Princess Ginevra is blissfully happy in the luxury of the royal palace: she is in love with Ariodante and is about to marry him, with the blessing of her father, the King of Scotland. She bluntly rejects Polinesso, who has long been in love with her and covets the crown. In revenge, Polinesso seduces Ginevra’s younger sister, Dalinda, who loves him madly and spurns Ariodante’s brother, Lurcanio, for him.
Polinesso tells Ariodante that he is Ginevra’s lover. He proves it by appearing to join her in her room for the night, but in reality he is with Dalinda, who has put on Ginevra’s clothes at his request. Deceived by this subterfuge and in despair, Ariodante vows to take his own life, despite his brother’s attempts to reason with him. His disappearance and the rumour of his death plunge the royal family into shock. Lurcanio accuses Ginevra of having been caught with a lover and of being responsible for Ariodante’s suicide. Overcome by grief and disowned by her father, she feels her world begin to crumble.
Dalinda, who has been assaulted and threatened by Polinesso, discovers Ariodante alive. She confesses her part in Polinesso’s plot, revealing Ginevra’s innocence to him. Ginevra continues to proclaim her innocence to her father. With the aim of marrying Ginevra, Polinesso opportunely presents himself as her defender. He engages in a duel with Lurcanio, who mortally wounds him. Ariodante returns to clear Ginevra’s name and encourages his brother to marry Dalinda, who is pardoned by the King. Ginevra and Ariodante are reunited. They all have to face the consequences of these events.
Further information
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