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La Traviata

La Traviata was part of The Grange Festival 2025 lineup, running from 4th June to 6th July.

Overview

A brand new production of La traviata opened the 2025 Festival and was directed by Maxine Braham and designed by Jamie Vartan, who made his debut at The Grange Festival, with lighting design by Johanna Town. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra was conducted by renowned Verdi exponent Richard Farnes—also making his Festival debut—whose credits included Falstaff at the Met, and Simon Boccanegra and Il trovatore at the Royal Opera.

The cast featured Samantha Clarke as Violetta—a role for which she was recently critically acclaimed with Opera Australia—Nico Darmanin as Alfredo, and a Festival debut from Dario Solari as Giorgio Germont.

Audiences experienced the songs and story of Verdi’s masterpiece of love and heartbreak in this beautiful new period production, set in the idyllic surroundings of The Grange.

  • Composer — Giuseppe Verdi
  • Librettist — Francesco Maria Piave
  • Orchestra — Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
  • Chorus — The Grange Festival Chorus
  • Sung in — Italian

Creatives

  • Maxine Braham Director

  • Jamie Vartan Designer

  • Johanna Town Lighting Designer

  • Richard Farnes Conductor

  • William Vann Chorus Master

Cast

  • Samantha Clarke Violetta Valery

  • Nico Darmanin Alfredo Germont

  • Dario Solari Giorgio Germont

  • Annie Reilly Flora Bervoix

  • Leo Selleck Marquis D'Obigny

  • Peter Edge Baron Douphol

  • Peter Lidbetter Doctor Grenvil

  • Sam Marston Gastone

  • Isabel Garcia Araujo Annina

  • Samuel Kibble Giuseppe

  • Mark Crawley Dancer

  • Cameron Everitt Dancer

  • Rhys Richard Dancer

  • Lochlan McDougall Dancer

  • Nicholas Tredrea Dancer

Gallery

Samantha Clarke as Violetta Valery La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith}
Samantha Clarke as Violetta Valery La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith1}
Nico Darmanin as Alfredo Germont La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith}
La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith}
La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith3}
La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith2}
La traviata The Grange Festival credit Richard Hubert Smith insta richard h smith1}

Photography by © Richard Hubert-Smith

Watch our 2025 trailer of La Traviata

Video by © Connor Apps

"From the brindisi, there is a stripping back of joy, from demi-monde to devotion, and dejection to demise." ~ Mark Aspen

Full Review

Mark Aspen

"Samantha Clarke achieves a luminous intensity" ~ George Hall

Full Review

The Stage

"This production in the glorious surroundings of the Grange Festival’s imposing mansion in the Hampshire countryside is of the highest standard, and blessed with a stellar performance from Samantha Clarke in the title role. " ~ Owen Davies

Full Review

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