Puccini’s opera of young love in 19th-century Paris is packed with beautiful music for Act II’s evocation of Christmas Eve in the Latin Quarter and a poignant final scene over which the composer himself wept. Richard Jones’s production perfectly captures La bohème’s mixture of comedy, romance and tragedy, with striking designs by Stewart Laing. The cast features some great interpreters of Puccini’s bohemian lovers, as well as former members of The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme.

Booking recommended