The Sicilian Vespers, Royal Opera House

Verdi’s The Sicilian Vespers, written for Paris in 1855, was the composer’s first major attempt at grand opera. Coming off the success of La Traviata, Il Trovatore and Rigoletto, Verdi took on the challenge of writing in French, complete with a five-act structure, ballet interludes, and large-scale political themes. The opera tells the story of the 1282 Sicilian uprising against French occupation, but its dense plot and uneven pacing have kept it from becoming a regular on the world’s opera stages.

Stefan Herheim’s revival at Covent Garden takes a bold approach, reimagining the story not in medieval Sicily, but in the 19th-century Paris opera house where Vespers originally premiered. The action plays out in a gilded auditorium, with Sicilian rebels exiled to the stage and their French oppressors looking down from the balconies. It’s a clever metaphor for power and control in the theatre, but at times this concept weighs the production down. The tension between the libretto and what’s seen onstage is sometimes distracting, and the narrative can feel muddled as a result.

Visually, there’s no shortage of spectacle. Philipp Fürhofer’s set is richly detailed, with mirrored walls, rehearsal spaces, and layers of theatrical illusion. Herheim fills the space with striking images, masked conspirators, eerie doubles, and ghostly reflections, though not all of them land with the intended impact. It’s ambitious, but occasionally self-indulgent.

Musically, however, the evening is on stronger footing. Speranza Scappucci, making her house debut as Principal Guest Conductor, leads a confident and finely paced reading of Verdi’s complex score. Valentyn Dytiuk’s Henri brings energy and clarity to a demanding role, and his duets with Joyce El-Khoury’s Hélène offer some of the production’s more tender moments, even if her voice takes time to settle. Quinn Kelsey stands out as the conflicted French governor Montfort, delivering a moving performance with vocal weight and emotional control.

There are flashes of brilliance in this Sicilian Vespers, especially musically, but the conceptual framing sometimes gets in the way of the story. It’s a thought-provoking production with some strong performances, but ultimately it feels more like an interesting idea than a fully realised triumph.

Image credit: Royal Ballet And Opera