Review: Rigoletto at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Invited: Reviewed by Joanna Andrews on November 4th, 2026

Verdi’s Rigoletto is one of the most traditional operas I see advertised, so I was thrilled to have the chance to see it at Newcastle Theatre Royal. I didn’t know the story beforehand, but in some ways it feels like a timeless cautionary tale.

Opera North has a wonderful way of taking classic operas and bringing them into the 21st century. In this production, we first meet Rigoletto, portrayed by Blake Benson, in a dressing room as he is being prepared for the Duke’s party. The setting feels thoroughly modern: the Duke, played by Leonardo Sanchez, is a playboy, with Rigoletto as his loyal hype man and friend.

The party scene was excellently done. The chorus members each seemed to have their own story unfolding in the background, adding to the atmosphere without taking attention away from the action between the Duke and Rigoletto. Sanchez’s voice carried magnificently across the Theatre Royal, with precision and personality in every note. Then Blake as Rigoletto began to sing, and his voice was electric. The hairs on the back of my neck gave him a standing ovation!

One of the lovely things about Opera North’s production is that screens at the sides of the stage translate the action into English. Even if you don’t know the story, aren’t familiar with opera or don’t speak Italian, you can still follow what is happening. The performers bring every part of the story to life and draw you into their world.

The party ends with Monterone’s fateful curse, setting the rest of the story in motion. We then meet Rigoletto’s daughter, Gilda, played by the incredible jasmine Habersham, whom people have wrongly rumoured to be his lover. He is fiercely protective of her. Jasmine is nothing short of magnificent. She shapes every inflection of the music to tell the story with real emotion, while taking on some of the most difficult notes I’ve ever heard. She does a wonderful job.

The first act ends with Gilda being abducted by a group of men who intend it as a joke at Rigoletto’s expense. Written hundreds of years ago, Rigoletto feels every bit as relevant in today’s cultural climate.

Unfortunately, Rigoletto is a tragedy, and it contains some very dramatic, emotionally intense scenes. The end of Act One was the moment that affected me most. I was left wanting to see Act Two and find out how the story would unfold.

In Act Two, Rigoletto tries to save his daughter. When he learns what has happened to her, he swears vengeance on the Duke; a problem, of course, because Gilda has already fallen in love with him. Oh, the tragedy of star-crossed lovers.

I can’t tell you too much more of the story – #SpoilerAlert – but the drama in the music matches the story note for note. The second act is shorter, with a pause to change the scenery and costumes, and to shift the mood as the production builds towards an exceptionally dramatic finale.

Every moment of this show was played to the very top and back of the theatre. The voices of every principal performer were strong and captivating. They didn’t just sing the story; they lived it. We felt every moment of Rigoletto’s love for his daughter, and his pain and suffering as a father.

The Duke was a wonderfully chauvinistic playboy, bringing a huge amount of fun to the famous aria “La donna è mobile”. His performance tied together the character we had seen throughout: the all-too-familiar rich and powerful spoiled man-child who seems to get away with it.

A huge thank you to Opera North for continuing to find ways to make this music accessible. The setting, costumes, scenery and staging all helped bring the story to life. The set was particularly well designed, with integrated lighting effects that shaped the scene, atmosphere and mood.

The orchestra was expertly conducted by Patrick Lange. It was a wonderful thing to hear a full orchestra of players at the very top of their game.

From the opening bars of the overture to Rigoletto’s final note, this was thoroughly enjoyable, evocative and powerful. Five stars a truly first-class piece.