Comedy and near-tragedy are finely blended in Cendrillon in some of the most beautiful music Massenet – king of Paris’s Opéra Comique – ever wrote. His magical take on the familiar Cinderella story is a sensuous, Belle Époque fairy tale gilded with lavish orchestral textures and glittering, virtuosic vocal writing.

Sweet-natured Cendrillon lives the life of a servant with her cruel stepmother, her stepsisters and her downtrodden father. But, transformed for just one night into a mysterious beauty, she captures the Prince’s heart at the royal ball. Will she find a way to escape her domestic drudgery and be reunited with her beloved? With a little help from her Fairy Godmother, she just might.

This escapist musical fantasy draws on everything from 18th century courtly dances to Wagnerian harmonies to bring its story to vivid life, conjuring a world of infinite musical and emotional variety.

Emily performed in the 2018 festival and touring production.