Two great works of British Baroque opera, Dido And Aeneas and Acis And Galatea, in new interpretations by Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, make for a very special evening with The Royal Opera in collaboration with The Royal Ballet.

The double bill of  Dido And Aneneas and Acis And Galatea also celebrates 350 years since the birth of Purcell and 250 after the death of Handel; the complementary works on classical themes remaining as appealing in melody and seductive in rhythm as ever.

To both, McGregor brings his individual and acclaimed approach to the fusion of music and movement in settings of richly layered design and atmospheric lighting.

Purcell’s Dido And Aeneas contrasts musically and dramatically the supernatural with personal tragedy; there are the witches who delight in destruction, but at the heart is Dido, Queen of Carthage, whose Lament is one of the most famous and beautiful pieces of English opera.

The pastoral mood of Handel’s Acis And Galatea also turns dark as the eponymous loves are threatened by the monster Polyphemus, but its succession of arias and choruses show its unique charm.

Learn more about London operas within the West End.