Juliet Stevenson to star in The Handmaid’s Tale at the London Coliseum

Multi-award-winning actress Juliet Stevenson is set to join the English National Opera’s (ENO) acclaimed operatic adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale.

The hit opera returns to the London Coliseum for its first revival this February. Stevenson takes on the non-singing role of Professor Pieixoto, a historian and the director of the 20th and 21st-century archives at Cambridge University. Her character presents a lecture in the future about the dystopian Republic of Gilead, the setting of the opera.

Based on Margaret Atwood’s seminal novel and composed by Poul Ruders, The Handmaid’s Tale explores a totalitarian state where women are stripped of their identities and rights, subjected to the whims of a patriarchal republic. Stevenson joins a cast including mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as Offred, soprano Rachel Nicholls as Aunt Lydia, and bass James Creswell as the Commander.

The production, led by director Annilese Miskimmon, delves into the issues of state control and the fragility of freedom. Returning to lead the award-winning ENO Orchestra is the acclaimed Portuguese conductor Joana Carneiro, renowned for her expertise in contemporary works.

The cast also features soprano Nadine Benjamin, tenor Zwakele Tshabalala, soprano Rhian Lois, soprano Eleanor Dennis, mezzo-soprano Madeleine Shaw, tenor Alan Oke, mezzo-soprano Susan Bickley, tenor John Findon, and mezzo-soprano Annabella Vesela Ellis.

The production team includes James Hurley as revival director, Annemarie Woods as set and costume designer, Paule Constable as original lighting designer, Marc Rosette as revival lighting designer, Imogen Knight as original movement director and intimacy coordinator, Anjali Mehra as revival movement director, Akhila Krishnan as video designer, Yvonne Gilbert as sound designer, and the libretto by Paul Bentley.

The Handmaid’s Tale opens at the London Coliseum on Thursday 1 February, for five performances, with a signed performance scheduled for Thursday 8 February at 19:30.