Grimeborn Opera Festival 2026 · Arcola Theatre
Oscar Castellino · Guglielmo · Red Cast
Mozart's scandalous comedy of love, loyalty and laboratory experiments — reimagined by Barefoot Opera for the intimate Studio 1 of Arcola Theatre, East London.
Synopsis · Cast · Arias · Fun Facts · Venue
The Production
Barefoot Opera's bold new production places a question mark — and an exclamation point — firmly at the end of Mozart's title. Così fan tutte?! The "?!" says it all: this production isn't content to simply stage the opera, it demands we interrogate it. Is Don Alfonso a visionary or a manipulator? Are the lovers victims of circumstance or their own desires? And does the opera endorse its troubling premise, or quietly skewer it?
Directed by Jenny Miller, founder of Barefoot Opera and a director whose work spans theatre, dance and singing, the production strips the opera back to its human core. In the intimate Studio 1 of the Arcola Theatre, there is nowhere for the characters — or the audience — to hide.
The Story
Naples. Two young officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, are passionately in love — Ferrando with Dorabella, Guglielmo with Fiordiligi, two sisters. They make the mistake of bragging to their cynical philosopher friend Don Alfonso about the unshakeable faithfulness of their beloveds. Alfonso raises an eyebrow. He bets them they are wrong. And so one of opera's most delicious social experiments begins.
Alfonso convinces the officers to fake military orders. They bid their sweethearts a heartbreaking farewell and appear to sail off to war. The sisters are inconsolable. Alfonso enlists Despina, their mischievous maid, as an accomplice. The men return in elaborate disguises — as mysterious "Albanian" strangers — and immediately begin courting the other's fiancée. The sisters are outraged. Ferrando pursues Fiordiligi; Guglielmo pursues Dorabella. When the Albanians stage a theatrical "suicide by poison," Despina — disguised as a doctor — treats them with the famously absurd "Mesmer magnet." The women's resolve, however, is beginning to crack.
The sisters agree to be less rigid. Dorabella capitulates first, accepting Guglielmo's advances and exchanging a portrait locket. Fiordiligi resists longer — her magnificent aria "Per pietà" is a tormented plea for strength — but she too eventually surrenders to "Ferrando." The disguised officers are shattered: their own sweethearts have been faithless. Alfonso grins. Despina, now disguised as a notary, presides over mock wedding contracts. At the moment of signing, military trumpets — the men returning from "war." The disguises are stripped away. Betrayal, confusion, forgiveness? Mozart and Da Ponte leave the ending deliberately, magnificently ambiguous.
Oscar Castellino sings the role of Guglielmo, one of the two officers at the centre of the bet — a baritone role that moves from boastful swagger to comic humiliation to genuine heartbreak across the opera's two acts.
The Music
Così fan tutte contains some of Mozart's most exquisitely crafted music. The opera opens with one of the most gorgeous trios in all of opera, Soave sia il vento, a farewell of heartbreaking beauty — which is entirely ironic, since the men are not really leaving. Mozart seems to have a great time undercutting his own most beautiful moments.
Among the score's most celebrated moments:
Opera Facts
The full title is Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti — "Thus do all women, or The School for Lovers." It was the third of Mozart's three collaborations with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, following Le nozze di Figaro (1786) and Don Giovanni (1787). Mozart died just one year later, in 1791, making Così fan tutte one of his final completed masterworks.
Did You Know?
The Cast — Red Cast
Oscar Castellino performs in the Red Cast on 21 July and 24 July. The production also runs with an alternate cast on 22 and 25 July.
About the Company
Founded in 2011 by Jenny Miller, Barefoot Opera grew from a vision to create an ensemble style of working in which the whole group shared storytelling — with their whole bodies. The company's approach spans theatre, dance and classical singing, combining them into a distinctive performance style in which inner dancer, classical singer and actor are one.
Based in Sussex but performing throughout the South East and London, Barefoot Opera is known for accessible, intimate productions that challenge the notion that opera is elitist. They re-work the classics, commission contemporary work, and engage new audiences — bringing opera to venues and communities far beyond the traditional concert hall.
Their previous productions include Oscar Castellino's earlier role as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore, making this a reunion of long-standing artistic collaboration.
About the Festival
The Grimeborn Opera Festival is the UK's most beloved fringe opera festival, held every summer at Arcola Theatre in Dalston, East London. Founded in 2007 by Arcola's Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen, its name is a knowing wink at the world-famous Glyndebourne Festival in East Sussex — swapping the rolling green Sussex countryside for the congested creative energy of Hackney.
Now in its 19th year, Grimeborn 2026 runs from 15 July to 5 September, presenting 13 operas — 6 new works and 7 reimagined classics — with themes of environmental urgency, political tension and women's perspectives. Ticket prices remain deliberately accessible at £15–£39, reflecting Arcola's longstanding commitment to widening access to opera.
Arcola Theatre itself, at 24 Ashwin Street E8, is a converted textile factory that has become one of the UK's most respected fringe theatres — winner of multiple awards and the spiritual home of adventurous, community-rooted performance in East London.
The Venue
Nearest tube: Dalston Kingsland (Overground) · Bus: 67, 149, 243
Studio 1 is Arcola's main performance space — an intimate black box theatre that places audiences in close proximity to the action, making every seat feel like the best in the house.
£15 – £39 · Arcola Theatre Studio 1
Oscar Castellino performs in the Red Cast · 21 & 24 July only · The production also runs 22 & 25 July with the alternate cast