About the Show

A darkly satirical tale of power, privilege, and ruin in Handel’s hedonistic world of Semele.

In a world where wealth and excess reign supreme, Semele is drawn into a life of luxury through her passionate affair with Jupiter. Once a mere servant in his household, she now finds herself at the center of his affections, reveling in her newfound status. But Jupiter’s relentless pursuit of pleasure comes at a cost, and his jealous wife, Juno, is determined to exact her revenge. As Juno’s cunning plan unfolds, Semele’s dream of grandeur spirals into a nightmare of betrayal and destruction.

Oliver Mears’ bold new production brings an uncanny and darkly satirical lens to Handel’s 1744 opera, exploring themes of power, privilege, and downfall. This production is suitable for ages 16+.

Critic Reviews (8)

"Mears’s transformation of Handel’s subtle irony into a full-on dark comedy is provocative, yet undeniably compelling."
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"Every appearance in Mears’s production masks a grim reality, even if the finished product doesn't always cohere."
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"It’s Alice Coote’s deliciously spiteful, yet ultimately abject Juno that gets to the emotional heart of Mears’ bleak reimagining."
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"Alice Coote's Sybil-line...not mythologically speaking, Juno holds the stage whenever she appears"
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"Oliver Mears’ production doesn’t really gel."
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"Mears certainly knows how to wrestle a sprawling, not entirely coherent 18th-century mythological work into a well-oiled modern show — even if in doing so he sucks out a good dose of its joy."
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"Director Oliver Mears spoils a superbly performed production of Semele by straining to make the gorgeous oratorio ‘relevant’"
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"Its undeniable comic register tellingly counterpointed by deeply disturbing insights as consequential for our own time as ever."
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Cast and creative team

The Royal Opera House

Producer

George Frideric Handel