Verdi: La traviata

Love costs everything

A timeless story of love, society’s demands and impossible choices.

Peter Konwitschny’s Olivier Award-nominated production of La traviata strips the story back to its core, capturing the raw intensity of all-consuming love and tragedy.

Celebrated worldwide and still influencing popular culture today, Verdi’s musical masterpiece remains one of the most performed operas of all time.

Overview
At the heart of Parisian society, the beautiful and celebrated Violetta turns away from her glittering life when she falls in love with Alfredo.

Their happiness is short‑lived as their love threatens to shame Alfredo’s family. His father, Germont, pressures Violetta to give up her one chance of happiness.

Broken-hearted, Violetta agrees, allowing Alfredo to believe she has returned to her former life while hiding a more painful truth. With her health deteriorating, will Alfredo discover the truth before it’s too late?

This heartbreaking drama asks whether love can survive society’s judgement and time itself.

Discover the full story of La traviata

Staging and Score
In this much-loved opera production of La traviata, the opulence and excess are stripped away to reveal the beating heart of the drama. Framed by cascading red curtains and a single chair, this minimalist approach focuses attention on the characters’ emotional truth, making Violetta’s journey feel startlingly modern and real.

One of the most popular operas of all time, La traviata contains many instantly recognisable melodies, including the lively drinking song “Brindisi Let’s drink and be merry” (“Libiamo”) and “Let me live the life I want to” (“Sempre Libera”) – an emotionally charged bravura showstopper sung by Violetta.

Singers and Creatives
Returning to ENO following her acclaimed portrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots (2025), Heidi Stober steps into the shoes of Violetta, with Alison Langer performing as Violetta on the 3rd and 5th of March 2027. Egor Zhuravskii, winner of the Mozart Prize at Tenor Viñas 2025, sings Alfredo. David Stout, beloved for his Papageno in ENO’s The Magic Flute (2024), sings Germont.

Conducting one of opera’s most iconic and romantic scores is Kevin John Edusei. While Revival director PJ Harris returns to ENO following the award-winning 2020 Drive and Live production of La bohème at Alexandra Palace.

This production has been made possible through the generous support of a syndicate comprising Vincent Mercer & Mrs Anzo Francis.