Watch Sky Arts at Opera North >>

After the success of Opera North’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, composer Jonathan Dove reunites with librettist Alasdair Middleton for another magical production. Based on the Finnish poem, The Kalevala, Swanhunter is a unique opera filled with tragedy, love and adventure – created and performed in a way that all the family can thoroughly enjoy.

Opera North has always aimed to broaden the horizons of conventional opera, showing how it can be used for children’s education as well as stand-alone quality theatre. Here, it has accomplished these goals perfectly as the cast and production team share how the show has come to life.

Sky Arts goes behind the scenes to see the production coming together in its final few days of rehearsal, as well as hearing much of the original and powerful music score. Showing the production’s imaginative use of props, musical composition and performance to craft an original opera like none-other

We’ll also be hearing from the cast and crew on what makes this opera so uniquely special and accessible to all ages.