• Hector Berlioz
  • October 2024
  • Dublin

Beatrice & Benedict

They are best enemies. Beatrice and Benedict love to quarrel, spar, needle and sling insults.

A marriage is inevitable. Based on Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

Revel in Berlioz's Beatrice & Benedict, a sparkling adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, that proves that the art of romance is ageless.  Best enemies and more than just verbal sparring partners, Beatrice and Benedict love to quarrel, needle and sling insults. Their battle of wits echoes the playful complexities of modern relationships, where humour often disguises true feelings.

Award winning actor Fiona Shaw is the narrator, with acclaimed mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy, celebrated for her powerful and nuanced portrayals in productions from the Metropolitan Opera to Covent Garden performing as Beatrice. The charismatic tenor David Portillo brings his refined vocal artistry to the role of Benedict.  

Beatrice & Benedict brims with Irish talent including, soprano Anna Devin, mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, bass-baritones Padraic Rowan and John Molloy with UK based baritone Paul Grant completing the exceptional ensemble. Irish National Opera Orchestra breathes life into Berlioz’s shimmering score under the baton of Ryan McAdams, conductor of INO and Landmark productions’ award-winning opera The Second Violinist.

Beatrice & Benedict is sung in French with English surtitles.

#INOBeatriceBenedict

A concert performance.

Running time is 2 hours, including one interval.

NCH RTE Supporting the Arts

Discover More

Beatrice & Benedict | In rehearsals

Donate