WELSH National Opera bring to The Bristol Hippodrome two new productions: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro plus a brand new opera, Figaro Gets a Divorce, all sung in English. Figaro Gets a Divorce by composer Elena Langer with a libretto by WNO’s Artistic Director David Pountney, is an affectionate sequel; bringing together the final chapter of the Figaro story.

The trilogy of operas has an exceptional design team, combining two of Britain’s most celebrated theatre designers and three established directors. Set designer, Ralph Koltai CBE RDI, is generally acknowledged as the principal innovator of British Theatre Design and has designed some 250 productions of opera, dance, drama and musicals throughout the world. Costume designer, Sue Blane MBE, is one of the UK’s leading film and theatre costume designers who has been at the forefront of the European theatre scene for over forty years and is particularly well known for her original designs for the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Figaro story begins on Tuesday 15 & Friday 18 March 7.15pm, with Rossini’s comic opera, The Barber of Seville. Upbeat and optimistic, Rossini’s sunniest creation is the ultimate feel-good opera. The fantastic slapstick energy is destined to rub off on anyone who sees it - a fast-paced, whirlwind of crazy disguises, twists and turns and unlikely interventions. This new production is directed by young British theatre director and comic opera specialist, Sam Brown and conducted by James Southall. This is Welsh National Opera’s first new production of The Barber of Seville for nearly 30 years.

Mozart’s ever popular The Marriage of Figaro, Wednesday 16 & Saturday 19 March 7pm, continues the story. A host of intrigues and romances are packed into one day: Figaro’s Wedding Day! Over the course of the opera each character’s agenda, flaws, wit and strengths are exposed through wonderful music and a huge sense of fun. Tobias Richter, Director General of Grand Théâtre de Gèneve, directs and Lothar Koenigs conducts his last opera as the Company’s Music Director.

Following its World Premiere in Cardiff (21 February), Figaro Gets a Divorce comes to Bristol on Thursday 17 March 7.15pm completing the Figaro Forever trilogy. Figaro Gets a Divorce is an affectionate sequel to Mozart’s classic where the final chapter of the story is brought to a close for these much-loved characters, whose relationships are put under intense strain by political instability in 1930’s Europe.

Composer Elena Langer has written compositions in many genres including opera and multimedia, orchestral, chamber and choral works and together with WNO’s Artistic Director David Pountney has created a lyrical and striking ending to Figaro’s story.

David Pountney said “I had been intrigued by the idea of how the story might end and what the world of Figaro sounds like in the hands of a contemporary composer. As well as the everyday troubles, the rumblings of revolution were getting closer in The Marriage of Figaro posing the question of how these characters would survive as their world breaks apart.”

More information on WNO’s spring 2016 season is available at wno.org.uk/figaroforever

The Welsh National Opera is at the Bristol Hippodrome from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 March. Visit www.wno.org.uk