Pyramus and Thisbe by Lampe
City Recital Hall
Baroque. Brilliant. Barely under control.
Inspired by the gloriously inept 'play within a play' in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, John Frederick Lampe's Pyramus and Thisbe is an ingenious mock opera that affectionately pokes fun at the grand conventions of Baroque opera. Witty, inventive and gloriously self-aware, it proves opera has always known how to laugh at itself.
As a troupe of earnest performers attempts to tell the tragic tale of Pyramus and Thisbe, everything that can go wrong does. Lovers whisper through a crack in a wall, a lion sings, the Man in the Moon arrives with his own lantern, and sharp-eyed observers delight in exposing every theatrical absurdity. The result is a joyful collision of glorious music, comic invention and theatrical chaos.
Pinchgut favourites Kanen Breen and Cathy-Di Zhang, whose performances in Platée (2021) and The Fairy Queen (2025) captivated audiences, lead this exuberant celebration of theatrical mischief. Expect dazzling music, razor-sharp wit and a wonderfully unpredictable evening at the opera.
Whether you're a lifelong opera lover or discovering Pinchgut for the first time, Pyramus and Thisbe is a delightful celebration of love, laughter and the glorious unpredictability of live theatre.
