Love, jealousy and violence in Bizet's Carmen at The Hawth

Spokeswoman Julia Ignatowa said: “Feel the thrill and passion of love, jealousy and violence of 19th century Seville in one of Bizet’s most popular pieces.

“Its mix of fierce passion, gorgeous melodies, nail-biting dramatic confrontations and musical wit has found favour all over the world almost since its first performance in 1875.

“It tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by Carmen, free-spirited femme fatale. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen’s love to the glamorous toreador Escamillo.

“The music of Carmen has been widely acclaimed for its brilliance of melody, harmony, atmosphere and orchestration, and for the skill with which Bizet represented, musically, the emotions and suffering of his characters.

“The Toreador Song is among the best known of all operatic arias. The rich and colourful vigour of the gypsies’ scenes will have you on the edge of your seat, and the vibrancy, enthusiasm and intensity of the performance will reverberate long after the final curtain.

“If you’ve never tried opera before, you will love this full orchestra experience with fantastic colourful costumes, exquisite singing and those wonderful tunes that the audience will still be humming to themselves on their way home, making this a must see opera production for everyone. Love, treachery, passion and betrayal, Carmen has it all!

“With extensive national tours that get our productions seen the length and breadth of the country, we are able to offer national audiences in various theatres an unforgettable experience at a fraction of the price, all without sacrificing quality. So, it is very close to my heart to continue working with theatres all over the UK to deliver top-quality productions every year and make new converts wherever we go.

“No experience is needed to enjoy these classics. Our sets and costume designs, as well as the informative programmes make the productions very accessible and most of all, enjoyable. For opera, English surtitles make it easy to follow the story as you listen to the performance sung in its original language.

“Over the years we have entertained audiences in London and all over the UK with performances by world-class dancers and singers. Since 2001 we have presented the ballets Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and operas such as Carmen, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme and Rigoletto as well as shows like Big Ballet, Russian Cossacks and many more.”

Call the box office on 01293 553636 or visit www.hawth.co.uk.

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