Medea at the London Coliseum

Banished, betrayed, besieged on all sides, the barbarian sorceress Medea exacts a terrible vengeance upon her faithless lover and all those he holds most dear.

Following the "knockout success" (whatsonstage.com) of Rameau's Castor and Pollux, the ENO continues its pioneering exploration of French baroque operatic masterpieces with the first-ever UK/London staging of Charpentier's dramatic full-scale opera.

Celebrated opera director David McVicar makes a welcome return to ENO to rework one of the most enduringly disturbing of all the Greek myths – that of a mother who murders her own children – Charpentier's thrillingly orchestrated score boasts a harmonic daring and psychological complexity unparalleled in its day.

The exemplary cast includes internationally acclaimed British mezzo soprano Sarah Connolly in the title role, US tenor Jeffrey Francis making his ENO debut as Jason and exceptional baritone Roderick Williams as Orontes. Medea is conducted by period specialist Christian Curnyn, whose recent handling of Castor and Pollux was hailed as "revelatory" (The Daily Telegraph) and "ravishingly done" (The Guardian).