July 31, 2026
The Marriage of Figaro
Friday, 31st of July, 7pm
Gates open at 6pm (5.30 for premium ticket holders)
Experience the magic of open-air opera on the Croquet Lawn at Doddington Hall, as Wild Arts present The Marriage of Figaro. Mozart’s comic opera of intrigue, secret lovers and clever disguises is a whirlwind of joyous music and sparkling theatrical mischief for the perfect summer treat. Directed by international opera star Danielle de Niese, with a phenomenal cast and 10-player orchestra, get ready for an evening full of sparkling tunes, tangled romances, and razor-sharp wit. It’s the wedding of the year but with mistaken identities, cheeky servants, and a Count with a wandering eye, the ‘happily ever after’ might take a little work!
“Wild Arts has its cake and eats it – the company packs its bags and heads from idyllic spot to spot. This innovative company succeeds because its productions are direct, simple, heartfelt. All harder goals to achieve than they sound.” – The Times On the morning of their wedding, Figaro and Susanna discover that their employer, the amorous Count Almaviva, has his sights set on the bride-to-be. What follows is one madcap day of disguises, misunderstandings, and ingenious plotting as servants outsmart masters and love triumphs against the odds. Bursting with glorious melodies — from the fizzing overture to the heart-stopping beauty of ‘Dove sono’ and the jubilant finale — The Marriage of Figaro is Mozart at his most brilliant. It’s an irresistible blend of comedy and chaos, set to music that’s simply impossible not to love. Fast, funny, and fabulously full of heart, this is proof that love (helped along by a touch of trickery) always wins in the end.
Bring a chair and a picnic, and prepare to be entertained and captivated.
Running time: Approx 2 hours 40 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.
BOOK A VISIT
- Ticketed event FROM £45.00
Enjoy unforgettable events with HeritageXplore Club
- Special rates on HX events
- Member pricing on historic house visits & stays
- Priority booking - 48 hours early
Terms and conditions
MORE ABOUT THIS LOCATION
DODDINGTON HALL
Step into Doddington Hall’s art-filled Long Gallery, explore the farm shop brimming with local produce, and uncover the hidden charm of its iconic pyramid.
Doddington Hall
About 40 rooms big, Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln, is usually attributed to the man thought to be the first ‘proper’ architect, Robert Smythson, who also worked on Hardwick Hall, Wollaton Hall, and at Longleat. The Doddington estate was bought in 1593 by the lawyer Thomas Tailor, who worked for the Bishop of Lincoln and it was Tailor that commissioned Smythson to build Doddington. It was finished by 1600 and has passed by descent ever since, through the Hussey family to the Delaval family, and in 1829 to the Jarvis family. Doddington was just one of the Delavals’ houses. As well as Doddington, they owned Ford Castle in Northumberland, now owned by the Joicey family, and Seaton Delaval, the now-ruined palace by Sir John Vanbrugh, also in Northumberland, which is run by the National Trust.
Since Seaton Delaval was the Delavals’ so-called ‘modern’ house, Doddington was their ‘antique’ house, deliberately refitted in the 1760s to look old-fashioned and hark back 30 years. The Delavals were game-players and tricksters, famed for their practical jokes. When the 100-foot Long Gallery at Doddington was full with overnight guests, separated by curtains, the Delavals would pull a handle and the curtains would come down, revealing all to everyone in the room.
Today’s custodians James and Claire Birch (née Jarvis) have lived at Doddington full time since 2009.
RELATED ARTICLES
April 22, 2024, 4:52 p.m.
A historic estate near Lincoln crafted by architect Robert Smythson and completed in 1600, is celebrated …