The Festiv’Opéra in Sausset-les-Pins returns for two nights of open-air performances, staging Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece Rigoletto at the town’s verdant outdoor theater. Following a packed-out performance of Gaetano Donizetti’s L’Élixir d’amour on July 29, the festival continues its fifth-anniversary run with a production directed by Cyril Rovery, according to festival organizers.
Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Sausset-les-Pins Open-Air Theater
Performances of Rigoletto—adapted from Victor Hugo’s play Le roi s’amuse—are scheduled for Wednesdays, August 12 and August 19, at 20:30 at the Théâtre de Verdure located at 31 Rue Pierre Matraja, according to local reports. Artistic directors Cyril Rovery and Barbara Bourdarel designed the production to merge traditional elements with modern digital staging. The mounting features period costumes, Verdi’s complete musical score, live actors, narrative elements drawn from Victor Hugo, and digital video projections designed as a visual commedia dell’arte where characters interact with screen doubles.
Production Details and Visual Design
According to the artistic directors, the production aims to return to the raw source material of the 19th-century tragedy. The narrative centers on a court jester whose public irony masks the heartbreak of an injured man torn between a cruel society and absolute paternal love for his daughter. Organizers noted that the opening night on August 12 will coincide with a solar eclipse visible at the start of the evening.
Ticketing and Attendance Information
Admission to the open-air opera is free of charge, but organizers expect high attendance and strongly recommend advance reservations. Tickets or seat reservations can be secured through the Sausset-les-Pins tourist office by calling 04 42 45 60 65, as reported by event coverage.
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