Video: New adventures ahead for Opera North

"CO-PRODUCTIONS with some of the world's leading opera houses make it financially possible to bring to Opera North some of the most outstanding and interesting producers," says Richard Mantle, the company's general director, as he surveys an up-coming season containing seven new stagings.

"We open next week with a revival of The Adventures of Pinocchio, one of our most successful joint ventures with Chemnitz Opera, a fun piece for all the family that will run through to be our Christmas offering with almost all the original cast and creative team.

"The company's creative spirit has always looked to challenge preconceived ideas and has seen leading theatre producers introduced into opera for the first time, and many have gone on to have major international careers.

"This season we have the very exciting prospect of the young director, Alessandro Talevi, who is no stranger

to opera but is here making his debut with a major national company."

He will be bringing new ideas into one of the most creepy of all operas, Britten's The Turn of the Screw, a dark psychological story of abused and corrupted innocence of two young children that results in death. The work is making its belated Opera North debut.

"If that represents a talented newcomer, we go to the opposite extreme in our link with Opera Australia for Lehar's The Merry Widow which comes from Giles Havergal, one of opera's most outstanding and established producers."

It is a world of Viennese elegance, the choreography devised by Craig Revel Horwood, television's outspoken judge of Strictly Come Dancing. Stephanie Corley and William Dazeley occupy the leading roles and Wyn Davies conducts.

"We would like to think that we are attracting a new and younger audience to opera," Mantle continues.

"We certainly saw evidence of that with our rather unconventional staging of Puccini's Tosca, and we will continue making it affordable this year by offering the younger generation tickets for

just 10."

That takes us through to next year opening with Bizet's Carmen with the American-born director, Daniel Kramer, someone never far away from controversy.

"We are all getting terribly excited about the British premiere of The Portrait by the Polish composer, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, the world only just awaking to one of the major voices of the 20th century."

David Pountney, who has delighted Leeds audiences over the years, has become the composer's champion, and it will be in his production and English translation that relates Gogol's story, where money corrupts.

Sharing in the series theme of "Freedom and Imprisonment" is the classical story of political incarceration in Beethoven's Fidelio, here conducted by the distinguished Austrian, Dietfried Bernet, and Janacek's From the House of the Dead, a deeply disturbing scene of a Siberian prison camp.

The cast is headed by Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, the star of the company's award-winning Peter Grimes.

We have waited long for Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, the first instalment, Das Rheingold, completing the season.

The Adventures of Pinocchio, Leeds Grand Theatre, Sep 16, 25, Oct 1,

23, 7pm. 0844 8482706.

OPERA NORTH SEASON

Pinocchio

Back by popular demand after a clutch of five-star reviews, this production, by Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton, is based on the original 1883 book by Carlo Collodi, and is perfect for over-sevens.

Various dates between Sep 16 & Dec 31.

The Turn of the Screw

A new production of Benjamin Britten's adaptation of Henry James's psychological thriller. Soprano Elizabeth Atherton, who recently sang in Opera North's Cosi fan tutte, returns to sing the central role

of the Governess, widely acknowledged to be one of Britten's greatest female creations.

Various dates between Oct 2 & 21.

The Merry Widow

Opera North's first production in 20 years of Lhar's lavish operetta in which a beautiful and wealthy widow "deliberates" over taking

a second husband. Conducted by Wyn Davies.

Various dates between Oct 16 & Feb 8.

Carmen

Georges Bizet's tale of passion, sexual obsession and revenge will see the acclaimed American soprano, Sandra Piques Eddy make her British debut, sharing the role of Carmen with Heather Shipp.

Various dates between Jan 17 & May 11.