The Royal Opera & Ballet has announced a cast change for its perfomance of “Siegfried” on March 21, 2026.

The company said that Tommi Hakala will replace Christopher Maltman in the role of the Wanderder.

Maltman also took to social media and said, “Sometimes, like the poor Wanderer above, events don’t unfold as you would like or as you expect. Tonight I will not be singing in Siegfried at the Royal Ballet and Opera as planned. I started getting laryngitis on Thursday and had absolutely no voice at all. I’m under excellent medical care and, while the condition is not in any way serious, just a sore throat for most people, for singers it’s something you have to take very seriously to avoid any lasting damage. I’m already feeling better and am certain I will sing again on Tuesday. In the meantime I wish a huge toi toi toi to my esteemed colleagues in this utterly incredible production.”

Hakala made his Royal Opera debut this season and has performed at such theaters since Finnish National Opera and Ballet and the Savonlinna Opera Festival.

He joins a cast that includes Andreas Schager, Peter Hoare, Elisabet Strid, Christopher Purves, Soloman Howard, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, and Sarah Dufresne. Antonio Pappano conducts. 

Maltman returns to the production on March 24, 2026.