Love,sex and jealousy pervade...

Calixto Bieito's iconic production captures the imagination of French readers with exotic tales of Spain through his rendering of Prosper Merimee's popular novella of the same name. Packed full of famous songs including the seductive Habanera and Escamillo's rousing Toreador Song, Valentina Peleggi conducts the cast including Nardus Williams and Sean Panikkar making their ENO debuts.

The story of Carmen

Set in provincial Seville around the year 1830, Bizet's powerful masterpiece deals with the love and jealousy of the young and impetuous Don Jose, who is lured away from his duty as a soldier and his beloved Micaela by the seductive, shameless gypsy factory-girl Carmen, whom he allows to escape from custody with the promise of love. However, he is not the only one in want of her charms; he must deal with a handsome toreador, as well as his captain. When he gets his desire though, he finds that it isn't all that is cracked up to be, and with Carmen's wandering affections, he is driven to mad jealousy that leads to a devastating showdown.