Lighting Designer

An Emperor’s court decays around him; a princess, haunted by inherited trauma, plays a deadly game of riddles; a visiting prince takes one look and decides to risk his life for love. The stakes could not be higher.

EPSG:4326

Turandot

Festival Theatre Edinburgh

Theatre Royal Glasgow

Puccini’s La bohème unfolds in a dreamlike Waterperry of the late-1930s - the decaying estate a bastion of bohemian artistry amidst fast-evolving world events. Expect soaring music, laughter, and heartbreak in an unforgettable night of opera beneath the stars.

La bohème

Waterperry Gardens

Step into the glittering world of nineteenth century Paris as one of opera's most unforgettable love stories takes centre stage. La traviata is Verdi at full brilliance, weaving a tale that shimmers with glamour, passion, and heartbreak. At its heart is Violetta, a woman adored by society yet living a life defined by fragility and compromise. When the earnest and hopeful Alfredo enters her world, she dares to imagine a future shaped by love rather than expectation. Their romance is intoxicating, but the world they inhabit is quick to judge, and their happiness comes under threat from the very forces they long to escape.

La traviata

Buxton Opera House

Full of charm, sparkle, and good old fashioned mischief, The Merry Widow remains one of the best loved operettas of all time, and for good reason. Set in 1950s New York, the story follows the glamorous widow Hanna Glawari, whose fortune has become the obsession of suitors, diplomats, and schemers. Don Zeta, desperate not to lose her wealth to the wrong man, enlists the charismatic but reluctant Danilo to woo her. The only problem is that Hanna and Danilo share a past full of unresolved feelings, stubborn pride, and a spark that refuses to die.

The Merry Widow

Don Pasquale, head of the independent Studio da Corneto, is about to retire. Everyone expects him to hand the studio over to his nephew Ernesto, a screenwriter of sword‑and‑sandal epics. Pasquale objects when he learns Ernesto is involved with Norina, a struggling actress living on Rome’s outskirts. To teach the old man a lesson, the savvy agent Malatesta engineers a romantic ruse, casting Norina in a starring role. The plot whirls through the studio’s various sets and culminates on the main sound‑stage, where the lovers’ deception is performed under bright lights.

Don Pasquale at Nevill Holt

Nevill Holt Estate Theatre

Fidelio is a blazing musical protest against oppression that signals Beethoven’s implicit belief that humanity will eventually triumph over injustice and tyranny. John Cox’s iconic production of Beethoven’s only opera returns with Jamie Manton as revival director and Gary McCann’s striking design. 

Beethoven’s Fidelio

Wormsley

Handel wrote some of his most beautiful and characterful music for Rodelinda. Hatred and despair, thwarted love and resentment, and a fierce desire for revenge all combine to make a narrative of extraordinary power and potency. Director Ruth Knight collaborates with international award-winning designer Leslie Travers for this Handel masterpiece which will be conducted by Baroque specialist and Olivier Award winner, Peter Whelan.

Handel’s Rodelinda

First performed in 1875, this is the first major hit from the partnership of WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Set around a classic case of broken vows - the defendant having literally left the claimant at the altar - the trial bubbles over with emotion, humour, and downright chaos, leaving the jury divided. How will they decide between the charming yet swindling defendant and the utterly captivating claimant? 

Trial by Jury

A lavish Parisian party is a grand occasion for dancing, drinking, and (in)discreet love affairs. But Baron Zeta, the ambassador to the fictional cash-strapped state of Pontevedro, has a slightly more serious matter on his mind. Among his party guests is Hanna Glawari. Hanna is the glamorous Pontevedrian widow who arrived in Paris to enjoy her late husband’s immense fortune. Baron Zeta cannot bear the thought of Pontevedro losing half its national wealth should Hanna marry a Parisian. So, he assigns the charismatic Count Danilo to watch over her heart. But little does he know that they have quite the history... 

His Majesty's Theatre

Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi are a perfect pairing of high emotion, intense drama, and black comedy. Suor Angelica weaves a poignant tale of sacrifice and redemption, when a young nun is sent to a convent to repent her sins, and Gianni Schicchi is full of unexpected twists, deception and greed as a family dispute over a missing will.  

Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi

Venue Cymru

Theatre Royal Plymouth

Mayflower Theatre

Buckle up as Puccini’s trio of one-act operas, Il trittico, takes you on an unforgettable rollercoaster of high emotion, intense drama, and black comedy. Il tabarro (The Cloak) gazes upon an unhappy marriage with murderous consequences, Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica) follows a nun’s sacrifice and familial yearning when sent to a convent to repent her sins, and Gianni Schicchi is full of deception and greed as a family dispute over a missing will.

Il trittico Puccini

Wales Millennium Centre

Georges Méliès’ seminal 1902 silent film is the inspiration for this year’s Community Opera. Garsington Opera is proud to open our stage to the inter-generational voices of our communities, working shoulder-to-shoulder with professional singers and creative teams.

A Trip to the Moon

**Garsington Opera Presents: A Trip to the Moon**

Join us for a mesmerizing evening at the Garsington Opera with the enchanting performance of "A Trip to the Moon." This unique event takes place on Tuesday, 30th July 2024, and Wednesday, 31st July 2024, with both performances starting at 6.45pm.

**About the Opera:**
Inspired by Georges Méliès’s seminal 1902 silent film, "A Trip to the Moon" is this year’s Community Opera at Garsington Opera. Crafted by Andrew Norman, the opera unfolds a fantastical story where astronomers, after crash-landing their rocket on the moon, must overcome linguistic barriers to communicate with the moon's inhabitants. This opera promises to be a delightful experience for all ages, exploring themes of discovery, communication, and the universal quest for understanding.

**Featuring:**
- **Conductor:** Douglas Boyd
- **Director:** Karen Gillingham
- **Designer:** Rhiannon Newman Brown
- **Lighting Designer:** Ben Pickersgill
- **Cast:** Includes the Garsington Opera Adult Company, Garsington Opera Youth Company, Primary School Youth Company, with George Méliès played by Robert Murray and Eoa by Jennifer France.

**Ticket Information:**
- **General Admission:** £15
- **Under-18s:** £5
- **Booking:** Tickets can be booked through the Garsington Opera box office at 01494 37603.

Don't miss this extraordinary opera that bridges the gap between Earth and the moon through the universal language of music. Book your tickets now for an unforgettable journey to the moon!

Garsington Opera: A Trip to the Moon

The first of Verdi’s two comedic operas finally takes its rightful place on the Garsington stage having been part of the cancelled 2020 Season. This light-hearted comedy features an impressive virtuosic vocal score sung by an international cast and large chorus of our renowned Young Artists.

Un giorno di regno

World-renowned Scottish director Sir David McVicar brings his visionary storytelling to bear on Puccini’s epic, final opera in this, its centenary year.

Lighting Designer

Ben Pickersgill

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 22 - Nov 22, 2026

Turandot · Scottish Opera

11 - 22 Nov, 2026

Turandot · Capital Theatres

Past events

Oct 22 - Nov 22, 2026

Turandot · Scottish Opera

8 - 15 Aug, 2026

La bohème · Waterperry Opera Festival

About

Ben Pickersgill hasn't added a bio