3hr 13 mins

When American naval officer Lieutenant Pinkerton marries young geisha Cio-Cio-San in Nagasaki, Japan, she believes they are making a binding promise for life. Years pass with no sign of Pinkerton’s return, but still she waits for the day when his ship will sail into the harbour.

For all the beauty and romance of the music, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly remains a deeply moving – and troubling – story, fatally bound up with the destructive forces of imperialism. This Season there are two chances to catch Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s poignant, painterly production, with Kevin John Edusei conducting three fantastic casts.

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