No longer booking
  • Venue Royal Opera House, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 3 October 2026
  • Running time 3 hours and 50 minutes (including two intervals)
  • Age guidelines Suitable for ages 5+. Children under the age of five are not permitted. Children over the age of five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.

Book tickets for Alcina at the Royal Opera House and experience Handel’s opera live in London. 

Alcina at the Royal Opera House, London

Richard Jones’ Olivier Award-winning production of Handel’s opera returns with many of the original cast, including Emily D’Angelo as the lovestruck Ruggiero and Lisette Oropesa as the glittering enchantress Alcina. Composed in 1735 for Covent Garden, Handel’s magical opera, Alcina, was inspired by Orlando furioso, Ludovico Ariosto’s epic Italian poem, which also inspired Handel’s operas, Ariodante (also 1735) and Orlando (1733).

The opera is sung in Italian with English surtitles, which are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.

Why see Alcina?

With its strong female heroine, dazzling plot twists and firecracker arias, Handel’s Alcina is an irresistible treat. Richard Jones’ Olivier Award-winning production is full of magic and glamour. The opera is filled with musical gems, although Ruggiero’s wistful aria, ‘Verdi prati’, Morgana’s acrobatic ‘Tornami a vagheggiar’ and Alcina’s barnstorming ‘Ma quando tornerai’ are particular highlights.

The themes of magic and sorcery are woven throughout the plot and Handel’s score responds with an abundance of musical enchantments.

Book Alcina tickets

Alcina runs at the Royal Opera House on select dates from 15 September to 3 October 2026. We recommend booking early to secure your preferred seats.

Alcina, an enchantress, uses her magical powers to lure her lovers to her island. When she tires of them, she transforms them into animals. Ruggiero is her latest conquest – but his wife, Bradamante, has vowed to rescue him. Bradamante arrives on Alcina’s island, disguised as ‘Ricciardo’, a man, and there the games begin.

When Morgana, Alcina’s sister, is immediately attracted to him, Morgana’s jealous lover, Oronte, falsely states that Alcina is in love with ‘Ricciardo’ too. As Alcina’s web of sorcery and seduction comes under pressure, can she retain the affections of Ruggiero? Or will Bradamante succeed in winning back her husband?

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Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Alcina?

  • Alcina: Lisette Oropesa
  • Ruggiero: Emily D’Angelo

The cast also includes: David Bates, Mary Bevan, Beth Taylor, Ru Charlesworth and Edward Grint.

Who are the creative team of Alcina?

  • Composer: George Frideric Handel
  • Librettist: Riccardo Broschi
  • Director: Richard Jones
  • Designer: Antony McDonald
  • Lighting Designer: Lucy Carter
  • Movement Director: Sarah Fahie

Important Notes

Age restrictions: Content suitable for all. Children under the age of five are not permitted. Children over the age of five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.

Access performances:

Audio described: 25 September 2026 (6:30 pm)

BSL Interpreted and Captioned: 3 October 2026 (6:30 pm)

Content notes: Sung in Italian with English surtitles, which are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.

Venue Information

Royal Opera House , Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD

Nearest Tube or Train: Covent Garden (Piccadilly line), Leicester Square (Piccadilly line, Northern line)

Nearest Buses: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 26, 68, 76, 77a, 91, 168, 171, 176, 188, 501(southbound only), 505, 521, X68 all go to the Aldwych.

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Alcina

★★★★ - The Guardian

★★★★ - The Telegraph

★★★★ - The Independent

★★★★ - Bachtrack

★★★★ - The Arts Desk

Frequently Asked Questions

Alcina is playing at the Royal Opera House in London
The running time of Alcina is 3 hours and 50 minutes (including two intervals)
The age recommendations for Alcina are: Suitable for ages 5+. Children under the age of five are not permitted. Children over the age of five must have their own ticket and sit next to an accompanying adult.
Yes, Alcina has matinee performances on the following days:

Alcina is sung in Italian with English surtitles, which are displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.

The sorceress Alcina has it all worked out: an endless supply of lovers, and the magical means to dispose of them when she gets bored. But when her current lover, Ruggiero’s fiancée turns up, Alcina’s fantasy world collides with cruel reality.

No, sorry, Alcina has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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