Line-up announced for 15th Grimeborn Opera Festival at Arcola Theatre

The Arcola Theatre has announced the line-up for this year's Grimeborn Opera Festival, which features 14 operas, four new works and 11 female directors.

The festival, now in its 15th year, opens on the 26 July 2022 with a gala night before the opening of L'Incoronazione di Poppea, a modern interpretation of the 17-century story from Ensemble OrQuesta.

Other highlights include Baseless Fabric Theatre's Carmen, re-imagined for modern-day London; the 1920s New York-set Sin the Musical from Dmii Productions; Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore, staged in a "radical rethink" from director Emma Jude Harris; and Spectra Ensemble revive 1916 comic opera The Boatswain's Mate.

The Cervantes Theatre will present the UK premiere of Black, el payaso, directed by Paula Paz; What More? Productions re-imagines Japanese Noh play, Sumida River; and Arcola Theatre will return to Hackney Empire with a double bill of Siegfried and Götterdämmerung on 6 and 7 August.

Discussions around mental health are explored in The Unravelling Fantasia of Miss H, a new contemporary opera from Stitched-up-theatre; and Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle will be staged by environmentally sustainable company Green Opera.

Arcola artistic director Mehmet Ergen said: "Arcola Theatre has always championed adventurous artists, and this has never been clearer than in our Grimeborn programme this year. Music has the power to connect us, and it has always been our belief that opera should be accessible to all. Our commitment to affordable ticket prices means that everyone can enjoy opera and I am so excited to watch this year's line-up."