Opera North has unveiled its lineup for the 2024-2025 season, promising an array of productions with all audience demographics in mind.

In addition to presenting a wide range of shows, the Leeds-based opera company is also ensuring that the experiences of opera is accessible to everyone. Among the initiatives are: earlier start times for some performances, increased matinee showings, English subtitles at all performances, and special accommodations such as sign interpretation, audio description, and touch tours on selected dates.

Among the highlights of the season is Mozart’s timeless classic, The Magic Flute, which will embark on a tour across the North of England from September to March 2024. Directed by James Brining, Artistic Director and CEO of Leeds Playhouse, this production aims to engage newer audiences of all ages, following the success of Brining’s recent collaboration with Opera North on My Fair Lady. The season will conclude with a staging of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, featuring the company's orchestra and chorus at centre-stage.

For those seeking shorter performances, a 90-minute version of The Magic Flute, titled The Magic Flute Lite, will also tour in February and March 2025.

Other productions in the lineup include revivals of Benjamin Britten’s take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. Opera North will also be presenting Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s Love Life, marking a collaboration with On and the Kurt Weill Foundation as they work towards the first full recording of the work.

In a bid to encourage younger viewers and newcomers to experience the productions, Opera North has introduced new ticket schemes which will be available at all tour venues. These schemes include the ‘Try it ON’ initiative, offering £20 tickets for first-timers, £10 tickets for Under 30s and students, and free tickets for 16-20 year olds.

Laura Canning, General Director of Opera North, expressed her excitement for the upcoming season, emphasising the company's commitment to making opera accessible to all, saying ‘This year will be a terrific journey through music, and we are delighted to have found more ways than ever to make great opera accessible for everyone, from earlier start times and more matinees, to special ticket deals for newcomers and new initiatives for families. We want everyone to join us as we tour our work across the North of England and beyond, and to discover the extraordinary experiences that live opera and music offer to audiences.’