Falstaff

The old knight, Falstaff, takes rakish pleasure in swindling, trickery and shamelessly taking advantage of the world around him. In order to finance his indulgent life of food and drink, he decides to woo two wealthy ladies from the town of Windsor at once. And although society is out to punish this playful, uninhibited force of nature, Falstaff seduces others to join the game, which increasingly consumes them and takes on a variety of guises. But in the game, all of the characters also discover the truth about themselves and their existence.

The production of Falstaff at Opera Vlaanderen will be directed by the Austrian film star, actor and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, who made his debut as opera director in this house with Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier – to much acclaim. The German star baritone Thomas Johannes Mayer, who is known chiefly for his major Wagner roles, makes his debut as Falstaff. He has previously impressed audiences at Opera Vlaanderen as Barak/Die Frau ohne Schatten. The Czech maestro Tomáš Netopil has conducted well-received productions at Opera Vlaanderen such as Die Zauberflöte and The Makropoulos Affair, and promises to bring an impassioned interpretation of Verdi's score.