The art of resistance

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

Puccini’s classic thriller, Tosca, unfolds in a world of desire, fear and resistance, where nothing feels safe and every choice has consequences.

One of opera’s most electrifying works, Tosca moves at breathless pace through desire, betrayal and sacrifice, powered by Giacomo Puccini’s soaring score and a heroine forced to confront the brutal limits of love and loyalty. In Annilese Miskimmon’s gripping new ENO production, Tosca becomes impossible to look away from.

Book your Tosca tickets now and experience the drama of this unforgettable opera live on the iconic London Coliseum stage in 2026.

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.

Principal Production Sponsors: George & Patti White

Discover the story of Tosca

Staging and Score

The mid-century inspired architecture of the concert hall setting forms a backdrop to this revolutionary new take on one of the world’s most performed operas.

Featuring some of Puccini’s most famous arias, including Vissi d’arte (Love and Music) and E lucevan le stelle, d’arte (With the Stars Shining Brightly) this iconic score seamlessly connects and contrasts the fast-paced plot with the tenderness of Tosca and Cavaradossi’s romance. Its quick-shifting tempos and intensity will leave hearts pounding and pulses racing in this must-see production, sung in an English translation by Amanda Holden.

Singers and Creatives

Making her ENO debut, internationally acclaimed Grammy Award winner Axelle Fanyo takes on the role of Tosca, with her lover Cavaradossi played by tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali. Sadistic police chief Scarpia is brought to life by Christopher Purves and later in the run, Craig Colclough.

After his acclaimed performances of La bohème in 2022 where he ‘drew out a truly glorious performance from the ENO Orchestra’ (Bachtrack) we welcome the return of internationally renowned conductor Ben Glassberg.

This production has been made possible through the generous support of a syndicate comprising J.S. Murdoch, Kieran Cooper and Neville Astley & Isabel Radage.

The Children’s Choir is generously supported by Melissa Disney.