Dido & Aeneas

Ensemble OrQuesta returns to Grimeborn with a revival of one of their most beloved productions, Dido and Aeneas.

One of the oldest and most enduring in the English repertoire, Purcell’s operatic masterpiece gets a strikingly intimate, minimalist treatment in Arcola’s downstairs studio. 

Five performers bring to life a story of love, betrayal and abandonment that has moved audiences for over three centuries. Based on Virgil’s Aeneid, the opera follows the story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, who falls for the Trojan hero Aeneas, knowing he is destined to leave her. 

Helen May and Rosemary Carlton-Willis alternate the roles of Dido and the Sorceress – and on three of the five nights, the audience will choose who sings which role, decided on the spot before the performance begins.