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The Bridgewater Hall
Opera
– The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
- Date
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Duration
- 02:45
- Venue
- The Bridgewater Hall
- Address
- Lower Mosley St, Manchester M2 3WS, UK
- City
- Manchester
- Organisation
- English National Opera
- Language
- French
- Price range
- 18 £
About this event
The Hallé and Opera Rara join forces with the Chorus of English National Opera to present Offenbach’s opera Barkouf, where a dog rules the day. These musicians present this rare gem for the first time in the UK in a concert performance at The Bridgewater Hall in 2026. This production invites the audience to step into the absurd political world of Offenbach’s Barkouf. The opera is a riotous exploration where corruption runs wild, flattery is an art form, and the only thing more dangerous than power are the incompetent politicians desperate to win it. The narrative unfolds as a dog is made governor of the fictitious city of Lahore, leading to a transformation where laughter turns to applause as he rallies the people. The production aims to prove that even the unlikeliest hero can change history, promising a tail-wagging triumph of opera at its most unexpected.
Cast & creative
Bababeck
Yann Beuron
Saëb
Mathias Vidal
Kaliboul
François Piolino
Xaïloum
Philippe Talbot
Périzade
Katia Ledoux
Le Grand Mogol
