It is the party to end all parties. But two entertainments have been double-booked to mark the evening’s climax – a serious opera and a slapstick comedy. The star soprano is throwing a tantrum and the staff are hiding the chaos from the boss. There is only one solution: perform both shows at the same time. As an opera within an opera and as a sly commentary on the struggles between high culture and low entertainment, Strauss’s comic creation was far ahead of its time. Bursting with life, vigour and humour, it is also an opera that shows you can rediscover love in even the most unexpected places.

Revered German soprano Dorothea Röschmann as the opera’s wronged heroine, Thomas Quasthoff as the house’s major-domo and prize-winning Scottish singer Catriona Morison as the composer. The entire cast includes: David Butt Philip as Bacchus, Brenda Rae as Zerbinetta, Martin Gantner as the Music Master, Peter Bronder as the Dancing Master, Joshua Hopkins as Harlequin, Alexander Sprague as Scaramuccio, Barnaby Rea as Truffaldino, Sunnyboy Dladla as Brighella, Liv Redpath as Naiad, Claire Barnett-Jones as Dryad, Soraya Mafi as Echo, Jonathan McGovern as the Wigmaker, Ossian Huskinson as Lackey and Filipe Manu as the Officer.