La Boheme

Puccini, Illica, Giocosa

Opera North

Grand Theatre, Leeds

18 October - 22 November, 2025: 2 hours 30 minutes

(also on October 24, 25, 28, November 1; Newcastle Theatre Royal, November 5, 6, 8; Lowry Salford, November 12, 13, 15)

Anthony Ciaramitaro as Rodolfo and Olivia Boen as Mimi in Opera North's La Bohème. All pics: Richard H Smith

This is another revival of Phyllida Lloyd’s 1993 production of La Boheme for Opera North – one of the company's best of this work, and not to be done down for being revived yet again. It was last seen in 2019, and everything that was good about it remains.

You can read what it was like then here; this time around the revival director is James Hurley, and he’s done it proud. There are, I think, even more people on a crowded stage for the Christmas Eve scene; the love story of poet Rodolfo and doomed paper flower seller Mimi is drawn, if anything, more clearly – the soloists are young and can act and look their parts, as well as singing brilliantly.

More than that, the score is conducted here by the company’s music director, Garry Walker (except on October 27 and November 13 & 22, when it will be Catriona Beveridge), and he is real Puccini maestro. The orchestra plays with unconstrained enthusiasm, the speeds are lively from the start and skilfully varied as the tragedy unfolds, the soloists get to make the most of their big moments, and the final Act is tender and touching.

For Mancunians – the Lowry audience sees it next month – there is the added opportunity of experiencing what Opera North (once named English National Opera North, let’s not forget) can do, only a short time after the London-based English National Opera’s first visit to the Lowry under its new commitment to the region. It will be a stark contrast, I suspect.

More info and tickets here