"with exquisite story-telling, Debussy evokes a world of conflicting emotions in a powerful love triangle"
Telegraph, "Best opera of 2025: what to book now"
**Telegraph, Best opera of 2025: what to book now**
Prince Golaud marries the mysterious princess Mélisande. At the castle at Allemonde, she meets and falls for his half-brother, Pelléas. Golaud’s resulting anger and jealousy wind like a spring towards a devastating climax.
Pelléas et Mélisande offers a fresh take on the love triangle, inspired by the mythic world of Arthurian legend. Shimmering orchestral interludes and haunting vocal melodies unveil relationships in all their complexity and instability.
After the Ring, this opera is an ideal next step for the Longborough Festival Orchestra under the baton of our Music Director, Anthony Negus.
“The orchestral interludes which Debussy writes for Pelléas et Mélisande are deeply imbued with a Parsifal like atmosphere. We have waited a long time to tackle it at Longborough, and I believe the time is now ripe for us to present it and to experience its mystery and subtle beauty in a new staging. Our theatre will serve this piece particularly well.” Anthony Negus, Music Director
Debussy created a new kind of interior music drama, using Wagner as raw material
Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise
Coming by train?
Hop aboard the Hedgehog!
In partnership with brilliant local bus service the Hedgehog, we’re now offering a shuttle service from Moreton-in-Marsh station to our theatre.
The service will depart from Moreton-in-Marsh 90 minutes before the performance start time, to arrive at Longborough shortly after the grounds open. It will return to Moreton following the performance end time.
