Théâtre National de l'Opéra Comique

Its promotion to national theatre status has brought this jewel box of a theatre back to life and the opening seasons, exploring a specifically French repertoire often ignored by the larger houses, have been welcomed with enthusiasm by press and public alike. After his triumphant Carmen last season, Sir John Eliot Gardiner has been invited back to conduct Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande in a production by Stéphane Braunschweig: one of the most important operas of the 20th century returns to the theatre where it was first staged in 1902.