Opera North

Faust is a man of middle age who has grown tired of life and yearns only for sensual pleasure and for his lost youth. He summons up Méphistophélès, who agrees to grant his desires – but at the price of his eternal soul. An innocent woman, Marguerite, falls victim to this diabolical pact when she is seduced by Faust: the result is her destruction. But whilst for Marguerite there is hope of redemption, for Faust there is none.

Like many artists in 19th-century Europe – among them his countryman Berlioz – Gounod was fascinated with Goethe's great Faust drama; from it, he fashioned an opera distinctively French, overflowing with memorable melodies. It was an instant hit with audiences throughout the continent, and remains, alongside Carmen, one of the most popular of French operas. Ran Braun and Rob Kearley's new production stresses the timeless resonance of one of the great legends of western culture.

Sung in French with English titles.