Chris Addison, opera star

Comedian and actor Chris Addison is to star in The Royal Opera’s new production of French composer Emmanuel Chabrier’s comic opera L’Étoile. His non-singing role has been newly created by director Mariame Clément to provide commentary on the opera’s absurdist events.

"I am stupidly excited to be appearing at Covent Garden in L'Étoile", says Addison, "a production which combines two of my great loves: insanely beautiful opera and deep, joyful silliness. I had assumed that Mariame Clément and Sir Mark Elder had cast me on the basis of my "certainly unique and borderline terrifying" (The Wiltshire Times) interpretation of The Queen of The Night at the 2003 Chippenham's Got Talent quarter-final, but both claim not to be aware of it. Whatever, it's a pleasure and a privilege to be getting to share a stage with such a talented cast. Not least as I now don't have to buy a ticket."

That ‘talented cast’ includes bona fide opera stars like Christophe Mortagne and Kate Lindsey as well as the Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. As for the director, audiences were reminded of her comic credentials only a few months ago when Clément’s blissful staging of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale earned Glyndebourne a Best Revival nod in the WhatsOnStage Opera Poll.

L’Étoile runs in repertoire at the Royal Opera House throughout February 2016.