The opera *Carmen* at the National Theatre of Bordeaux
9 - 17 November
A magical show to experience in Bordeaux this November.
An opera not to be missed in Bordeaux
When *Carmen* premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1875, it marked the beginning of a long run of success that continues to this day. A symbol of assertive female desire, *Carmen* speaks, through its enduringly famous arias, of freedom, violence and power. In Emmanuelle Bastet’s new production, created in collaboration with the Shanghai Opera, the director – whose production of *La Bohème* was acclaimed at the Grand-Théâtre in 2024 – returns to the story’s roots and lends a new psychological depth to the character of Don José. In Seville, within a society where the Gypsies and mainstream Spanish society coexist more or less harmoniously, Carmen is, in the words of Emmanuelle Bastet, a ‘matter of sensation’. The scorching sun, the dust, the skin, the breath, the smell of tobacco, the rustle of fabrics and the jingle of jewellery: everything here serves as a pretext for the drama, the dizzying rush of desire and the sting of jealousy. A popular opera of absolute modernity, where passion does not elevate, but ravages.
Around the performance
- Monday 9 November, 6.30 pm: discussion with Emmanuelle Bastet and Tim Northam, Grand-Théâtre
- Wednesday 4 November, 6 pm: ‘Carmen and the portrayal of femicide in the arts’, lecture by Blanche Cerquiglini, Grand-Théâtre, in partnership with Mollat bookshop
- Friday 13 November, 8 pm: performance with audio description
Grand Théâtre
33000 Bordeaux
