THREE productions inspired by William Shakespeare make up Welsh National Opera’s Autumn season which will be performed at the Bristol Hippodrome from October 11-15.

The season is part of the official Shakespeare 400 celebrations to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the great bard’s death whilst continuing WNO Artistic Director David Pountney’s creative approach to themed seasons.

The Shakespeare 400 season will include the British premiere of André Tchaikowsky’s The Merchant of Venice alongside new productions of Verdi’s Macbeth and Cole Porter’s classic musical Kiss Me, Kate.

Macbeth (12 October) is a co-production with Northern Ireland Opera (NIO).

This new production places Verdi’s classic opera in a contemporary setting, allowing for a new exploration of the tale of state violence, corruption and superstition.

Macbeth will be directed by NIO Artistic Director Oliver Mears and conducted by Andriy Yurkevych.

Spanish baritone Luis Cansino sings the title role in his debut performance with WNO. Mary Elizabeth Williams returns to WNO following her highly-acclaimed performances with the Company in Nabucco and Tosca to sing the role of Lady Macbeth.

Keith Warner returns to WNO following Peter Pan in 2015 to direct another British premiere, The Merchant of Venice (October 11).

Composed by André Tchaikowsky, The Merchant of Venice is a powerful and serious attack on prejudice with themes closely felt by Tchaikowsky himself who was smuggled out of the Warsaw ghetto with false identity papers and survived the Holocaust in hiding with his grandmother.

American baritone Lester Lynch makes his debut with WNO to sing the role of Shylock. He is joined by soprano Lauren Michelle who makes her UK debut with WNO in the role of Jessica.

The Duke of Venice will be sung by Miklós Sebestyén who performed with WNO in Moses in Egypt during the 2014/15 season. The Merchant of Venice will be conducted by Lionel Friend.

The season is completed with Cole Porter’s classic musical Kiss Me, Kate (October 13-15) in a co-production with Opera North which sits perfectly within the operatic repertoire and pays homage to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Jam-packed with hit tunes including ‘Too Darn Hot’, ‘Another Op’nin’ Another Show’, and ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’, this new production will feature operatic and West End singers alongside the renowned WNO Chorus and Orchestra.

The cast is led by Jeni Bern as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine and Quirijn de Lang as her ex-husband Fred Graham/Petruchio, both of whom starred in this production in 2015 at Opera North. The story is set around their tempestuous relationship as they prepare to stage a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew.

Jo Davies will direct Kiss Me, Kate and James Holmes returns to WNO to conduct on the October 13, with Gareth Jones conducting on October 14 and 15.

Featuring spectacular costumes, dazzling choreography and hit after hit, the show will be a feast for the eyes and the ears.

  •  More information on WNO’s Autumn 2016 season is available at wno.org.uk