Under the bloody reign of the young emperor Nerone, nothing and no one can stop the rise of the beautiful and immoral Poppea. Power and lust, that’s what this traitorous woman is all about. The most flamboyant Shakespeare dramas and the best current TV series pale in comparison to this production when it comes to vividly portraying the passions of mankind – from bedroom to political arena. The story of Poppea’s coronation combines the best and worst in man through a wide variety of protagonists and colorful side characters, combined with Monteverdi’s moving music.

Director Ted Huffman created a role-play that reveals the mechanisms of human society as an eternal comedy of power and seduction. His adaptation of L’Incoronazione di Poppea was a big hit at the opera festivals in Aix-en-Provence (2022) and Versailles (2023). Reason enough for the Reisopera to bring this production to the Netherlands. “This one approaches perfection in every respect. After three hours of music, singing and acting, we are left wanting more.” (La Marseillaise)