Julia Bullock stars in Handel's Theodora

Not heard in Covent Garden since the 18th Century Handel's Theodora is a tour-de-force, with a cast including Julia Bullock and Joyce DiDonato.

Handel’s late masterpiece returns to Covent Garden in a brand-new production with an all-star cast. Julia Bullock, Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Józef Orliński star in Katie Mitchell’s thrilling new production of Handel’s Theodora in an alternative modern-day reality. Theodora, a religious fundamentalist, plots for the resistance against the Roman occupation. But when her secret plan to destroy the Roman embassy is discovered, she learns the true brutality of her oppressors.

Not heard in Covent Garden since the 18th Century and sung in the original English libretto by Thomas Morell, Theodora is a tour de force for soloists and chorus alike, with ensembles, duets and arias of profound depth and beauty. This new interpretation, conducted by Baroque specialist Harry Bicket, shines a new, feminist light on the story.

"...bombs, a brothel and a brilliant cast ... Katie Mitchell’s modern-day staging of Handel’s oratorio is probing...” (The Guardian ****)

"Joyce DiDonato brings both humanity and musical sincerity to the foreground, through her varied tone
colour, sensitive ornamentation and because her musical authority is such that we are drawn, no compelled, to listen to the music." (Opera Today)

"... superbly realised, and like everything I’ve seen from Mitchell it’s inhabited by some of the most convincing characters you’re likely to see on an operatic stage" (The Spectator)

This production depicts explicit violence and sexual harassment, scenes of sexual violence and sexual exploitation, and contains themes of terrorism.

Production year 2022
Director Katie Mitchell
TV Director Peter Jones
Duration 189 minutes
Distribution TV Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Distribution DVD Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Soloist Julia Bullock
Soloist Joyce DiDonato
Soloist Ed Lyon
Soloist Jakub Józef Orliński