Egisto

A tangled tale of love — and other misadventures

Four lovers. Two broken promises. One very meddlesome god. After a year of captivity, Egisto and Climene escape and return to the island of Zakynthos, hoping to be reunited with the lovers they left behind. Instead, they discover that Clori and Lidio have fallen for one another — and that the gods have no intention of letting matters resolve themselves quietly.

Affections shift, jealousies flare and every encounter makes things more complicated. As Venus and Cupid intervene, Egisto is driven from heartbreak into one of opera’s most extraordinary scenes of madness. Tender, witty and gloriously unpredictable, Cavalli’s Egisto moves effortlessly between romantic comedy, pastoral fantasy and genuine emotional darkness. Yet beneath all its divine mischief lies a deeply human story about constancy, desire and the bewildering ways in which love can lose, and fi nally rediscover, its course.

Leading an exceptional ensemble is the dashing and expressive Michael Petruccelli (Médée 2022, Pleasures of Versailles 2023) in the title role, joined by stunning soprano Morgan Balfour (The Fairy Queen 2025) and acclaimed American tenor Zachary Wilder in his Pinchgut debut. Together they bring vitality, warmth and emotional depth to Cavalli’s vividly drawn world of lovers, gods and comic observers.

Director Neil Armfield (Platée 2021, Julius Caesar 2025) brings this deliciously theatrical work to life with his unparalleled ability to reveal the emotional truth beneath the comedy. In his hands, every glance, every betrayal and every moment of absurdity becomes part of a larger journey, from confusion and heartbreak towards forgiveness, clarity and joy.