The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists are set to present a new production of Purcell’s “Dido & Aeneas” beneath the hull of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich this May.

Directed by Andrew Staples and conducted by Jonathan Sells, the production places Purcell’s tragic love story within the drydock setting of the world’s last surviving tea clipper. The cast features mezzo-soprano Karima El Demerdasch as Dido, baritone Hubert Zapiór as Aeneas, soprano Johanna Wallroth as Belinda, and mezzo-soprano Bethany Horak-Hallett as The Sorceress.

The program also incorporates Purcell’s “Funeral Sentences,” written for the funeral of Queen Mary — founder of the Royal Hospital for Seamen on the grounds of today’s Old Royal Naval College, located nearby.

The showcase will take place on May 21 with one performance set for 7 p.m. and another at 9 p.m. Tickets for both performances include early entry to explore the ship, and the performances will be filmed for Deutsche Grammophon’s streaming platform Stage+.

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