OPERA North make their eagerly-awaited annual return to Newcastle's Theatre Royal with a season themed Fatal Passion.

The three operas are Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni and Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball), portraying desire, betrayal and revenge.

First up is Puccini’s classic Madama Butterfly. Sung in Italian it is played out on a minimalist set of mountain vistas overlooking slanted ramps with sliding panels.

Despite being written in 1904 it gives a futuristic insight of post World War 2 American imperialism.

American naval officer Pinkerton (Mer?nas Vitulskis) laughs about how Japan is there to be exploited. He boasts how he has a thousand year lease on a home that he has a monthly option on and, for a small payment, he has taken 15 year old geisha Cio-Cio-San (Anne Sophie Duprels) as his arranged bride.

The first half is relatively slow as we see Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) fall in love with Pinkerton and distance herself from her Japanese culture in favour of Americana. As a consequence she is disowned by her family. Hence, the need for top-notch singers. Both Vitulskis and Duprels carry the slight story well, the latter in particular

Like all great works there is a wow factor that makes you realise why they are so long-lasting and the whole 1 hour 40 minutes of the second half are a joy from start to finish.

Puccini’s dramatic genius kicks in as Pinkerton (like some Vietnam veterans) abandons his foreign dalliance to return Stateside, where he marries an American.

Accompanied by her maid Suzuki (Ann Taylor), Cio-Cio-San is heartbroken, as testified by the delightful Humming Chorus, which Butterfly sings forlornly while awaiting Pinkerton’s return. It's heartbreaking stuff, man.

But then the reveal. Pinkerton is the father of Cio-Cio-San's three year old son.

Obviously the boy can be better provided for Stateside. Having lost her points of support in Japan, Cio-Cio-San is no match for Pinkerton or the American consul (Peter Savidge).

When the child is ripped from her what has she to live for?

  • Opera North’s Fatal Passions season plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tue 20 – Sat 24 Mar 2018 (Madama Butterfly Tue 20 & Thu 22 Mar, Don Giovanni Wed 21 & Fri 23 Mar and Un ballo in maschera Sat 24 Mar). Tickets are from £18.50 and can be purchased at http://www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448-11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Ed Waugh