We proudly present the latest of three live presentations from this year's Wexford Festival Opera - Deidamia by George Frideric Handel, live from the O'Reilly Theatre, National Opera House.
Watch above from 7.30 pm on Saturday October 18th.
An Opera Seria in three acts, Deidamia was composed in 1740 and premiered in 1741. Handel's last Italian opera before he turned to oratorio is an unjustly neglected tragi-comic masterpiece, and the title role in particular covers the entire expressive spectrum, from flirtatious love song to heartfelt lament.
THE PLOT
Achilles, disguised as a young girl named Pyrrha, is hidden on the island of Skyros to avoid being sent to the Trojan War. There, he falls in love with Deidamia, daughter of King Lycomedes.Their secret romance is threatened when Ulysses and the Greeks arrive, determined to find Achilles.
Ulysses exposes his true identity by tempting him with weapons. Though torn between love and destiny, Achilles chooses glory, leaving Deidamia heartbroken.Blending comedy and drama, Handel's Deidamia explores love, deception, and fate in a world where duty triumphs over personal desire.
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli
Music by George Frideric Handel
CAST & CREATIVES
Deidamia - Sophie Junker
Nerea - Sarah Gilford
Achilles - Bruno de Sá
Odysseus (Ulysses) - Nicolò Balducci
Phönix - Rory Musgrave
Lycomede - Petros Magoulas
Conductor - George Petrou
Stage Director - George Petrou
Set & Costume Designer - Giorgina Germanou
Projection Designer - Arnim Friess
Co-Lighting Designer - Daniele Naldi
Co- Lighting Designer - Paolo Bonapace
Find out more about this year's Wexford Festival Opera here.
