The art of resistance

Where love is dangerous, power is corrupt and art is under attack.

Puccini’s classic thriller unfolds in a world of desire, fear and resistance, where nothing feels safe and every choice has consequences. In Annilese Miskimmon’s gripping new production, Tosca is impossible to look away from.

Join us for the Coliseum dress rehearsal of Tosca, giving you the chance to see the production before anyone else.

Please note our dress rehearsals are working rehearsals.

In some rare cases, Cast may not sing out fully and scenes may need to be repeated.

Overview

Following the critical success of Dead Man Walking in 2025, ENO’s Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon reimagines this timeless opera, exploring the art of resistance and love in the face of political censorship.

Set in a concert hall in an unidentified European state overtaken by civil conflict, opera singer Floria Tosca plans a secret meeting with her lover, the painter Mario Cavaradossi. When the corrupt police chief Scarpia intervenes, a place of music is transformed into a site of fear and violence. Over the course of one night, Tosca is forced to fight for her love, her honour and her life.

More than a love story. This is an opera about resistance in the face of oppression, and the enduring power of love and art to defy tyranny.

Enjoy Tosca as a stand-alone performance, or as a companion piece to Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater as part of a broader exploration of the human cost of war and the resilience of the human spirit. Both operas feature in our unmissable 2026/27 season.