York Opera celebrate their 60th anniversary with Die Fledermaus at York Theatre Royal

2026 marks a big year for York Opera as they celebrate both their 60th anniversary, and 40 years since their first appearance at York Theatre Royal. To celebrate this very special milestone the company will be staging a celebratory production of the party opera Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II (3 –6 June.)

Directed by John Soper and Liz Watson, and conducted by Edward Venn, the superb cast includes an exciting mix of singers new to the group as well as some familiar faces.  Sung in English and full of memorable tunes and comic moments, it is an ideal first opera for those new to the genre.

Lavish party host, Prince Orlofsky, seeks fresh amusement at his New Year’s Eve party. What better place for disguises, deception and revenge served with chilled champagne!

Doctor Falke, had previously been humiliated by his old friend Herr Eisenstein who persuaded him to dress for a party as a bat [Die Fledermaus], after much amusement and ridicule, he was eventually abandoned to wander the streets of Vienna. Falke plots his revenge with a cocktail of hidden secrets, mistaken identities and a splash or two of champagne that leads to a comedy of errors that soon takes flight. Will the bat be revenged?

The cast features Alexandra Mather and Olivia Turnbull as Rosalinda and Stephanie Wong and LaLa Marais as Adele. The decision was made to double cast the lead roles to showcase the high calibre of talent displayed during auditions. The cast also features Molly Raine (Orlofsky), India Ashberry (Ida), Hamish Brown (Eisenstein), Karl Reiff (Alfredo), Ian Thomson-Smith (Falke), Mark Simmonds (Frank), Alex Holland (Dr Blind), Helen Tomlinson (Melanie), Katie Cole (Faustine) and Lilah Payton (Felicity).

Directors Elizabeth Watson and John Soper, said, “Prince Orlofsky states ‘when you have seen one opera, you have seen them all.’ This is definitely not the case with a York Opera production. Our Die Fledermaus bubbles with lively choruses, memorable music and a revenge – served chilled – just like flowing champagne.”

Die Fledermaus plays at York Theatre Royal 03 Jun – 06 Jun. Tickets are available here.