Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in summer 2023, award-winning Spanish theatre company Yllana brings the London premiere of The Opera Locos to the Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End, this May. The Opera Locos is a comic opera show where five lyrical singers combine well-known opera classics including La Traviata and Madama Butterfly with rock and pop hits from Whitney Houston to Mika. The show integrates these musical genres with Yllana’s physical comedy style to create a show for audiences of all ages.
The show, which won Spain’s prestigious Max Award for Best Musical Show, has brought opera to a new audience around the world, while still maintaining high standards in technique with performances in 16 of countries. The cast is made up of renowned singers hailing from Spain and Africa including Enrique Sánchez-Ramos, Jesús Álvarez, María Rey-Joly, Mayca Teba and Michaël Koné.
In the show, a troupe of eccentric opera singers embark on a performance of repertoire from the greatest operatic composers, throughout the show they each reveal their hidden passions that will bring unpredictable and comedic consequences. The group is made up of five colourful characters including Alfredo, a worn-out tenor with a glorious past, wild mezzo soprano Carmen, Enrique, the macho baritone, pop-loving counter-tenor Franelli and Maria, a naive soprano.
The Opera Locos features music from classic operas including Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s La Boèhme and Madama Butterfly Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Bizet’s Carmen among others alongside pop and rock hits such as Mika’s ‘Grace Kelly’, Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, Whitney Houston’s ‘I will always love you’, Bob Marley’s ‘No woman no cry’ Céline Dion's ‘My Heart Will Go On’ Elton John’s ‘Can you feel the love tonight’ and U2’s ‘With or without you’.
Founded in 1991, Yllana specialises in comedy and physical theatre. The Opera Locos is created and co-directed by Joseph O’Curneen and David Ottone with musical direction by Marc Alvarez & Manuel Coves, costumes and set design by Tatiana de Sarabia and Lighting design by Pedro Pablo Melendo.
Joseph O’Curneen said, “We are really excited to be taking The Opera Locos to the Peacock Theatre. Performing in the heart of London has always been a life long aspiration. By uniquely combining opera, pop and physical comedy this show guarantees a truly emotional and enjoyable experience, no matter where you're from."
David Fry, Peacock Programmer said, “For anyone who might be intimidated by seeing a full-scale opera or indeed anyone who’s a regular operagoer then this is definitely the show for you. It’s like opera’s greatest hits performed by seasoned singers with comedy and a few surprises. One of the best shows I’ve seen in Edinburgh for a long time.”
Yllana
The Opera Locos
Peacock Theatre, WC2
Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 May
Tickets: £18 - £45
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com
