British opera and theatre director Deborah Warner has withdrawn from helming Metropolitan Opera’s season-opening production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin due to an unexpected surgical procedure. Olivier Award-winning actress and director Fiona Shaw, who has frequently collaborated with Warner in the past, will now take charge of the New York production in her Met debut.

Shaw’s previous directorial credits include Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at English National Opera and an upcoming production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia at the Glyndebourne Festival. Her 25-year working relationship with Warner began in 1988 with a production of Electra for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Earlier this year, the two worked together on the Tony-nominated Broadway production, The Testament of Mary.

‘Obviously, Deborah Warner’s wellbeing is of concern to all of her fans and admirers,' said Met general manager Peter Gelb. ‘To lose her for the opening production is no small thing, but the solution that she and Fiona have come up with is a remarkably creative idea. They know each other inside out.’

Eugene Onegin, a co-production with English National Opera, opens the Met season on September 23, and continues for 13 performances until December 12. The opening night cast, conducted by Valery Gergiev, features Anna Netrebko as Tatiana. Later performances, conducted by Alexander Vedernikov, star Marina Poplavskaya as Tatiana and Rolando Villazón as Lenski.