Thursday 7 February 2019 Handel’s Berenice returns to Covent Garden ©2018 ROH. Image by AKA. Handel’s Berenice returns to Covent Garden in a new co-production by The Royal Opera and London Handel Festival, nearly 282 years after its 1737 premiere at the Covent Garden Theatre, a forerunner to the Royal Opera House. Staged in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre, the West’s End’s newest and most intimate theatre, the new production is directed by Adele Thomas and sung in a new English translation by Selma Dimitrijevic. For all Royal Opera House press releases visit www.roh.org.uk/for/press-and-media Berenice opens the 2019 London Handel Festival, which explores the theme of ‘Handel’s Divas’, tracing the lives of the female singers who performed and inspired the composer’s music. London Handel Festival Musical Director Laurence Cummings makes his Royal Opera debut conducting the musicians of the London Handel Orchestra, alongside a cast led by British soprano Claire Booth, also making her Royal Opera debut in the title role. The opera’s story pits two strong women against princes and each other in a battle of love and politics, with Adele Thomas’s production placing the drama and intrigue of the plot in a theatre as two divas go head to head backstage. Berenice opens at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre on 27 March 2019, with subsequent performances on 29 and 30 March and 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 April 2019. The 2019 London Handel Festival runs from 27 March to 29 April 2019. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS 1. For further information or interview requests please contact Matthew Horne 2. For images or press ticket requests please contact Hannah Last BERENICE 27 and 29 March and 1, 2, 4 and 5 April at 7pm 30 March at 6.30pm 7 April at 2pm Co-production with London Handel Festival Sung in English Page 2 of 4 Tickets available from the Royal Opera House website and Box Office (+44 (0)20 7304 4000) Credits Music George Frideric Handel Libretto Antonio Salvi English Adaptation Selma Dimitrijevic Director Adele Thomas Designer Hannah Clark Lighting design D.M. Wood Movement director Emma Woods Performers Conductor Laurence Cummings* Berenice Claire Booth* Selene Rachael Lloyd Alessandro Jacquelyn Stucker† Demetrio James Laing Arsace Patrick Terry*† Fabio Alessandro Fisher* Aristobolo William Berger* Orchestra London Handel Orchestra* *Royal Opera debut †Jette Parker Young Artist About The Royal Opera The Royal Opera, under the artistic direction of Antonio Pappano, Music Director, and Oliver Mears, Director of Opera, is one of the world’s leading opera companies. Based in the iconic Covent Garden theatre, it is renowned both for its outstanding performances of traditional opera and for commissioning new works by today’s Page 3 of 4 leading opera composers, such as Harrison Birtwistle, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Thomas Adès. About The Linbury Theatre The Royal Opera House’s aim is for many more people to enjoy and engage in exceptional ballet and opera. The brand new Linbury Theatre is the West End’s newest, most intimate venue; it showcases the best of the Royal Opera House’s art forms and provides a wealth of innovative world premieres, co-productions and collaborations. About London Handel Festival Founded by Denys Darlow in 1978 the London Handel Festival has contributed to a Handel revival in the UK. The Festival runs for around a month each year, with many events held at Handel’s parish church – St.George’s, Hanover Square. Laurence Cummings took over as Musical Director in 2002. The London Handel Orchestra, which is made up of some of London's finest professional baroque players led by Adrian Butterfield, now has an excellent reputation for historically informed performance. The annual Handel Singing Competition was inaugurated in 2002 to give young singers the opportunity to concentrate on the wealth of Handel repertoire. Page 4 of 4 .