ENGLISH Touring Opera’s new production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s light opera Patience will visit York Theatre Royal for one night only tomorrow, followed by Puccini’s Tosca on Saturday.

Patience is a comic English light opera in two acts, with libretto and music by WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.

Brought to the stage in period dress by director Liam Steel and conductor Timothy Burke, this satire on artistic fads, the follies of love and the pretensions of poets tells the story of the heartbroken Bunthorne, an aesthetic poet, played by Bradley Travis, who is the object of desire for all but one maiden, Patience (Lauren Zolezzi).

When Grosvenor, Patience’s childhood love, returns, she must choose between her selfish love for Grosvenor (Ross Ramgobin, in his ETO debut) or committing herself to the adoring Bunthorne. Steel’s production also features Andrew Slater and Aled Hall as as brace of spiffing, burly cavalry officers.

Theatre director Blanche McIntyre is making her opera debut with ETO’s new production of Puccini’s 1900 opera, Tosca, having directed Titus Andronicus and Two Noble Kinsmen for the Royal Shakespeare Company and As You Like It and The Comedy Of Errors at Shakespeare’s Globe.

McIntyre, who won the Best Director prize in the TMA UK Theatre Awards in 2013, is joined by conductor Michael Rosewell, ETO’s music director, to bring to life Puccini’s story of love and betrayal in the time of tyrannical despots and the oppression of women.

Tosca will be played by Paula Sides; firebrand revolutionary Cavaradossi, by Samuel Sakker and Scarpia, by Craig Smith, in a production sung in Italian with English surtitles. A pre-show discussion will take place before both 7.30pm performances, free to ticket holders, but pre-booking is essential at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or on 01904 623568.