In a press statement, General Director Richard Mantle commented, "The next year at Opera North promises to be one of our most excitingly diverse seasons yet, beginning with Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, a work we have long wanted to stage, and concluding with our six complete cycles of Wagner’s Ring, via the works of Janáček, Mozart, Giordano and Sondheim."

The company is also offering the world premiere of Pleasure, a new chamber opera by Mark Simpson that is set in a gay nightclub. It will be directed by Tim Albery with cast including Lesley Garrett.

Kiss Me, Kate will be designed by Colin Richmond with choreography by Will Tuckett. It features casting from both the opera and musical theatre worlds, including Quirijn de Lang as Fred Graham/Petruchio and Jeni Bern as Lilli Vanessi/Katherine.

Into the Woods will be co-produced with West Yorkshire Playhouse, whose artistic director James Brining will direct. The production is scheduled for June 2016.



For further details, visit operanorth.co.uk