Exceptional philanthropic support from
Royal Opera House Principals Julia and Hans Rausing
Generous philanthropic support from Alan and Caroline Howard
Production generously sponsored by Veuve Clicquot
The role of Scarpia is generously supported by Benoît Savoret
Music
Giacomo Puccini
Libretto
Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica
Conductor
Eun Sun Kim
Director
Jonathan Kent
Revival Director
Peter Relton
Designer
Paul Brown
Lighting Designer
Mark Henderson
Floria Tosca
Natalya Romaniw
replaces Sonya Yoncheva
Mario Cavaradossi
SeokJong Baek
Baron Scarpia
Bryn Terfel
Spoletta
Aled Hall
Cesare Angelotti
Ossian Huskinson
Sacristan
Maurizio Muraro
Sciarrone
Jamie Woollard
Gaoler
John Morrissey
Chorus
Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Director
William Spaulding
Orchestra
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Concert Master
Magnus Johnston
Sopranos
Joanne Appleby, Jessica Broad, Angela Caesar, Rachel Chapman, Janet Fairlie, Celeste Gattai, Shafali Jalota, Ella Kirkpatrick, Claire Mitcher, Claire Pendleton, Jane Read, Emily Rowley-Jones, Anna Samant
Mezzo-sopranos
Morag Boyle, Mercè Bruguera Abelló, Deborah Davison, Karen Foster, Zoë Haydn, Frances Jellard, Helen Johnson, Lydia Marchione, Clare McCaldin, Deborah Miles-Johnson, Amy Sedgwick, Jennifer Westwood, Sidonie Winter
Tenors
Allan Adams, Phillip Bell, Ed Choo, Jon English, Darrell Forkin, James Geer, Paul Hopwood, Geraint Hylton, Graeme Lauren, David Newman, Richard Reaville, James Scarlett, Andrew Sinclair, Pablo Strong, Alex Wall
Basses
James Birchall, David Campbell, Oliver Gibbs, Ben Knight, John Morgan, Martin Nelson, David Poter-Thomas, Andrew Tinkler, Christopher Thornton-Holmes, Robert Winslade-Anderson
Actors
Harold Addo, Peter Benton, Barry Callan, Peter Cooney, Richard Gittins, Anthony Kurt-Gabel, Dana Myzer Laurence Pasqualini, Jason Sabin, Daniel Swan
Music preparation
Christopher Willis, André Callegaro, Henry Websdale, Edward Reeve, James Ham, Nicholas Ansdell-evans, Patrick Milne
Assistant Director
Franciska Ery
Italian Language Coach
Isabella Radcliffe
Additional Costume Maker
Becky Davies
Patron
HM The King
Music Director
Sir Antonio Pappano CVO
Director of Opera
Oliver Mears
Director of Casting
Peter Mario Katona
Administrative Director
Cormac Simms
Cesare Angelotti, a Consul of the former Roman Republic, has escaped prison and seeks refuge in the Church of Sant’...
Cesare Angelotti, a Consul of the former Roman Republic, has escaped prison and seeks refuge in the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle. The painter Mario Cavaradossi, a Republican sympathizer working in the church, promises to help him. Angelotti hides as Cavaradossi’s lover Floria Tosca arrives. The lovers’ meeting reveals Tosca’s passionate love and jealousy. When Tosca has gone, Cavaradossi instructs Angelotti to dress in the disguise left for him, and hide at Cavaradossi’s villa. Baron Scarpia arrives at the church. He suspects Cavaradossi of hiding Angelotti. When Tosca returns, Scarpia uses a fan left by Angelotti to make her believe that Cavaradossi is having an affair. Tosca leaves for Cavaradossi’s villa, and Scarpia instructs his assistant Spoletta to follow her and track down Angelotti
Scarpia has arrested Cavaradossi. He summons Tosca to his apartment, and forces her to listen as Cavaradossi is tortured in the next room. Tosca reveals Angelotti’s hiding place. Scarpia condemns Cavaradossi to death but tells Tosca that he will free her lover if she will offer herself to him. In agony, Tosca agrees and Scarpia tells her he will arrange a mock execution. As Scarpia embraces Tosca, she fatally stabs him.
As dawn approaches, Cavaradossi waits for his execution at the top of the Castel Sant’Angelo. Tosca arrives and tells him what she has done. She instructs him on how to pretend to die in the mock execution. When the soldiers shoot, Tosca is impressed with her lover’s acting. But Scarpia has doublecrossed her and Cavaradossi really is dead. As Spoletta’s men arrive to arrest her for Scarpia’s murder, she leaps from the battlements to her death.
We are working hard on our commitment towards becoming more sustainable and are striving for our net zero goal of 2035. By using digital cast sheets and e-tickets, we have reduced our paper consumption by over five tonnes per year. You can view our digital cast sheets on a computer, tablet or smartphone by scanning the QR codes displayed around the building using your smartphone’s camera app. They are also displayed on screens outside the auditoria. Cast sheets are generously supported by the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.
Photography and filming are prohibited during performances in any of our auditoriums. You are welcome to take pictures throughout the rest of the building and before performances and share them with us through social media. Commercial photography and filming must be agreed in advance with our press team.
Larger bags and backpacks need to be check into our complimentary cloakrooms. Unattended bags may be removed.
Please do not place any personal belongings on the ledges in front of you.
Only bottled water and ice cream purchased from the premises can be taken into the auditorium.
If you arrive late to the auditorium or leave during a performance, you will not be allowed back to your seat until the interval or a suitable break.
Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the premises.
The safety of our visitors, staff and artists is our priority. To help us provide a comfortable experience for everyone, please be mindful of others and their personal space.
Our staff are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and we ask that you show them and your fellow audience members respect too. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach in response to anyone who interacts with our staff or with fellow audience members in an intimidating, aggressive or threatening manner.
We rely on your support to make world-class ballet and opera for everyone. With your donations we can ensure a bright future for the Royal Ballet and Opera, bringing communities together and inspiring future generations up and down the country.
For people, not profit.
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)