John Molloy

English National Opera’s sparkling production of the much-loved Gilbert and Sullivan classic, set in the Tower of London of the 1950s.

Edmea is an orphan in love with Count Oberto, whose father disapproves. In Oberto’s absence Edmea is forced to marry the servant Ulmo, who is also in love with her, but with the loss of Oberto, Edmea is driven mad and tries to kill herself by jumping into the river. She wanders the countryside with Ulmo who continues to love her and pretends to be her brother. They join up with a band of jesters and with them return to the castle where Oberto has been mourning his loss. On recognising Edmea, Oberto’s declarations of love help her to regain her reason. Ulmo makes the ultimate sacrifice, shooting himself, so that Oberto and Edmea are finally able to celebrate their marriage.

Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are our hosts for a special live concert as part of the BBC Proms season at London’s Royal Albert Hall, introducing us to the world of opera. Mozart is sure that the Horrible Histories audience will love opera, with all its grisly and gruesome stories. But Queen Victoria is not so sure, thinking opera is totally unsuitable for children. In fact, she thinks the audience need to leave at once! Can Mozart change her mind?