– Opera Antwerpen, Antwerp

About this event

In this staging of Verdi's La traviata, director Tom Goossens strips away the traditional bustling nightlife setting, replacing it with a bare theater space dominated by a large central stage. The production concentrates on Violetta Valéry, perpetually encircled by the gazes of others—some captivated by her glamour, others infatuated, and some preoccupied with reputation. Goossens uses this framework to probe the boundary between reality and performance, asking whether the characters can ever control how they are seen. Through openings in the surrounding walls, the audience glimpses backstage activity, exposing how the images we present are often carefully constructed performances. The result is a pointed exploration of appearances, agency, and the realization that the gaze of others can never be fully mastered.

Cast & creative

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  Violetta Valery

  Vuvu Mpofu
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  Violetta Valery

  Stacey Alleaume
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  Set designer

  Bart Van Merode
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  Flora Bervoix

  Judith Le Breuilly
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  Annina

  Chia-Fen Wu
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  Conductor

  Elena Schwarz
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  Stage director