RNCM Opera, RNCM Chorus

Theodora was Handel’s penultimate oratorio and is widely recognised as one of his great masterpieces. This rarely staged dramatic work contains some of Handel’s most beautiful arias, duets and choruses – this promises to be a profoundly moving theatrical experience.

The story, in English, recounts the tender love and eventual martyrdom of Theodora, a young Christian woman, and her Roman lover, Didymus. When the order is given that those who refuse to offer sacrifice to Jupiter are to be tortured and killed, the two lovers find themselves locked in a battle to the death; each determined to sacrifice their own life to save the other. The Roman chorus, initially baying for blood, are deeply shaken and affected by the quiet courage of the Christian lovers and their friends.

The plot of Theodora resonates to this day as conflicts continue to erupt around the globe. Innocence, love, faith and courage bloom strong and full of promise, only to be struck down by the thirst for power and blind hatred.