Opera Rara and The Hallé announced that they will join forces for the UK premiere of Offenbach’s political satire “Barkouf” on Oct. 4, 2026.

The work centers on a dog who is appointed governor of a fictitious place called “Lahore,” whose population has reached its wits’ end with the corruption and incompetence of successive leaders.

The performance will use musicologist Jean-Christophe Keck’s critical edition of Offenbach’s 1860 opéra-bouffe with conductor Paul Daniel leading the run.

The cast includes Anne-Catherine Gillet, Antoinette Dennefeld and Katia Ledoux, who all appeared in “La Princesse de Trébizonde,” as well as Opera Rara newcomers Mathias Vidal, François Piolino, Philippe Talbot and Thibault de Damas. Yann Beuron returns to Opera Rara following his appearance on Wekerlin’s “La Laitière de Trianon.”

A week prior to the performance on Oct. 4, 2026 in Manchester, Opera Rara and The Hallé, together with the English National Opera Chorus, will make the first-ever recording of “Barkouf.”

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