The new staging will weave together western and Indian classical music, creating a groundbreaking musical and dramatic tapestry.
Orpheus will be a groundbreaking reimagining of one of the earliest surviving operas, Monteverdi’s 1607 work L’Orfeo.
The production will open at the Leeds Grand Theatre this October before touring other northern theatres alongside Verdi’s La traviata, and concerts of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.
Image: Opera North
The opera takes place on the day of the wedding of the protagonist Orpheus, a musician of mythical power, to Eurydice. But their joy is shattered when Eurydice dies suddenly, and Orpheus, heartbroken, vows to travel to the Underworld to find his new wife and return her to life.
The exciting new production will feature additional composition and arrangements by Jasdeep Singh Degun, working as co-Music Director with early music expert Laurence Cummings.
Image: Opera North
The cross-cultural opera will be sung in Italian and Urdu, with some sections sung in Hindi, Tamil, Malayam, Punjabi, Bengali and there will be also be English titles at all performances.
The breathtaking onstage orchestra will consist of 19 players and will include an ensemble of violin, viola, cello, bass, trumpet, percussion, harp, harpsichord, lirone and theorbo, as well as Indian classical instruments including sitar, tabla, santoor, esraj and bansuri.
The incredible inclusion of Indian instruments has grown out of Opera North’s longstanding collaborative relationship with South Asian Arts-uk, a Leeds based centre of excellence in Indian classical music.
Image: Opera North
Jasdeep Singh Degun, Music Director, comments “I'm very happy to be beginning my tenure as artist-in-residence at Opera North with the new and exciting production of Orpheus. As well as acting as joint Music Director on the opera with the brilliant Laurence Cummings, I have been fortunate to compose new music alongside Monteverdi's masterpiece."
"I'm very excited to be bringing such a stellar cast of Indian classical musicians and vocalists to Leeds - these are, quite literally, the best of the best Indian classical musicians in the UK!"
This highly anticipated masterpiece opens it's doors on Friday 14th October 2022 at the Leeds Grand Theatre.
To book your ticket and to find any further information, take a look at their website.
Whitelock’s Ale House has announced the return of its annual Beer Festival - hoorah!
There’s nothing quite like a nice fresh pint, and we all know Whitelock’s Ale House know how to pour a good one.
So it's with great glee that we can fill you in on their upcoming Beer Festival which will be returning to the iconic festival from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 June 2026.
The four-day festival will celebrate the best of independent brewing in Leeds, with beers sourced exclusively from local breweries.
Featured breweries will include Northern Monk, Kirkstall Brewery, Anthology, Amity Brew Co. and more.
Known as the oldest pub in Leeds, Whitelock’s Ale House has long championed independent beers and local brewing culture.
Image: Supplied
This year’s festival aims to spotlight the strength and diversity of the city’s brewing scene, with the tagline 'Beer tastes better up north!'
Beer will be pouring throughout the weekend across Whitelock's Ale House and The Turk's Head, with further brewery announcements and festival details set to be shared in the coming weeks via their Instagram.
The best part? Entry to the festival is completely free.
Talking about this year’s festival, General Manager Beth said: “Beer has always been at the heart of Whitelock’s, so this felt like the right year to celebrate both the breweries on our doorstep and the city we’ve called home for more than 300 years.
"Leeds has a brilliantly strong independent beer scene right now, and we’re looking forward to showcasing some of the best breweries the city has to offer across the weekend.”
You can find out more about Whitelock's Ale House and their fabulous Beer Festival here via their website. Cheers to that!
Inside Leeds’ very first sauna and ice bath cafe hidden behind a railway arch
Clementine Hall
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept has landed in the city centre.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast has brought its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds combines saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space features two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The space is absolutely gorgeous, complete with trendy tin ceilings, fairy lights and soft furnishings.
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The same goes for the saunas, with one silent and one sauna giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
There's a fab little cafe too offering all sorts from electrolyte slushes to ginger shots and a range of coffees and matcha.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
Officially opening their doors this Friday 29 May, Kontrast are offering free sessions over the weekend so you can try before you buy. Book your spot here.
Clementine Hall -
27th July 2022 
