YORK Opera's principal cast for Mozart's The Marriage Of Figaro will have a sprinkling of new young faces next month.

Stepping sideways from being one of York Opera’s regular accompanists, James Sanderson will sing the tenor role of Don Curzio; soprano Samantha Locker-Lampson will be Barbarina; bass Mark Simmons will play Dr Bartolo and the title role will go to University of York graduate Ben Noble.

Ben, who hails from Teesside, where he is a musical engagement officer for Middlesbrough Town Hall, is no stranger to Mozart operas, having sung the part of Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte.

Other principal parts will be taken by singers already familiar to York Opera audiences: Ian Thomson-Smith and Heather Watts will be Count and Countess Almaviva and Annabel van Griethuysen will play Figaro’s bride Susanna.

Hamish Brown and Rebecca Smith are cast as Don Basilio and Marcellina respectively and the character role of Antonio will be performed by Clive Marshall.

Musical direction is in the experienced hands of Alasdair Jamieson, while the stage director is James Wood, directing his first full-scale opera with York Opera.

The Marriage Of Figaro will be staged at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, on May 9 and 10 at 7.15pm and May 11 at 4pm. Tickets are on sale on 01904 501935 or at josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.