Written by Wild Arts
February 10, 2026
Wild Arts today announces its Summer 2026 Opera Tour, featuring a brand new production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, directed by international opera star Danielle de Niese in her directing debut, alongside a new version of its popular introduction-to-opera show, An Evening of Opera, directed by Guido Martin-Brandis.
The Marriage of Figaro
Wild Arts’ full opera production for Summer 2026 is Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, presented in a fresh, intimate new staging.
The production will be directed by Danielle de Niese, marking her debut as a director. It will feature a new English translation and chamber orchestration by Wild Arts’ Artistic Director Orlando Jopling, created especially for the company’s distinctive small-scale touring model.
Of the partnership with Wild Arts, Danielle de Niese said:
“It is a great honor to be invited to direct for the first time. I feel my work on the stage has been recognised by my peers and having had a producer role in the BBC’s La Voix Humaine, I am excited to add another string to my bow in this directing debut. My artistic identity has always been rooted in a deep synthesis between singing and storytelling, character exploration, and the personal investment in and interpretation of any role I take on. That’s why the ethos of Wild Arts resonated so much – their intimate, beautifully stripped-back approach puts the characters and story front and centre and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with such an authentic and inspiring company for this new production of The Marriage of Figaro.
Orlando Jopling, Artistic Director of Wild Arts, added:
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Danielle de Niese to the creative team for this summer’s production of The Marriage of Figaro. Danielle brings an extraordinary instinct for character, storytelling, and emotional truth, qualities that sit at the very heart of how we make opera. Her experience as one of the world’s great singers and actresses, combined with her infectious energy and imagination, makes her a perfect fit for Wild Arts. We can’t wait to explore the magic of Figaro together and to share this fresh, intimate take on this iconic cornerstone of opera with audiences across the country.”
The cast for the production will be announced at the end of February.
The Marriage of Figaro opens with a three-night run at the Wild Arts Summer Opera Festival at Layer Marney Tower, near Colchester in Essex, before touring nationally to regional theatres and festivals, as well as a return visit to London’s Opera Holland Park.
An Evening of Opera is Wild Arts’ accessible introduction to opera, performed by four singers and a string quintet. The show brings together favourite opera arias and ensembles alongside numbers from classic musicals, into a narrative designed to welcome newcomers while delighting seasoned audiences.
A new version of the show is created each year. The 2026 edition is devised and directed by Guido Martin-Brandis, who previously collaborated with Wild Arts on its acclaimed production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love.
The tour will visit historic houses across Essex, East Anglia, the Cotswolds, and the South West.
Founded in 2022 by conductor and cellist Orlando Jopling, Wild Arts is an innovative opera company dedicated to bringing high-quality, small-scale opera to parts of the UK that traditionally have limited access to the artform.
Each summer season begins with the company’s flagship Wild Arts Summer Opera Festival at Layer Marney Tower near Colchester, Essex, before touring nationally. The company performs to more than 15,000 people annually across over 60 venues, many of whom are experiencing opera for the first time.
Wild Arts’ productions are driven by immediacy, storytelling, and audience connection. Performances are deliberately intimate and theatrically focused, stripping back large-scale sets in favour of clarity, pace, and emotional impact. While casts are small, with soloists also performing chorus roles, productions remain visually striking, featuring bold costumes, inventive props, and imaginative staging.
At the heart of every production is the exceptional talent and magnetism of the performers. This approach has earned Wild Arts a consistent run of four- and five-star reviews, including for last summer’s Eugene Onegin, directed by former Shakespeare’s Globe Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole:
“This no-frills Tchaikovsky goes straight to the heart… it succeeds because it is direct, simple and heartfelt.” The Times