A person with a clock for a head holds playing cards, wearing a polka dot skirt and heels, with abstract shapes and eyes in the background.

A person in a colorful, historical costume performs on stage, evoking the whimsy of L'heure espagnole, standing near a cluttered table with a clock, gears, and a vibrant fabric backdrop.

A man in colorful, theatrical clothing stands in a vibrant, painted booth with clocks and patterned doors, performing a scene from L'heure espagnole or The Bear on stage.

Scottish Opera

L’heure espagnole / The Bear

Sat 15 Nov 2025

Venue: Festival Theatre

Scottish Opera presents a new double bill directed by Jacopo Spirei.

Two comedies of infidelity

Spirei and Scottish designer Kenneth MacLeod interpret Ravel’s and Walton’s mini masterpieces for a modern audience, exploring treachery and romance with humour.

This performance of L’heure espagnole, which marks 150 years since Ravel’s birth, is about a lustful clockmaker’s wife must put her creativity to the test, to hide her lovers from her husband. Will she be successful? William Walton’s The Bear is about a faithful widow confronted with her late husband’s prominent love affairs who comes to blows with his creditor. Will she have her happily ever-after?

This concert staging is conducted by French opera expert Alexandra Cravero. The cast includes Lea Shaw (former Scottish Opera Emerging and Associate Artist and Education Artist-in-Residence); and, 2025/26 Scottish Opera Emerging Artists Chloe Harris, Daniel Barrett, Edward Jowle and Luvo Maranti, and experienced Scottish tenor Jamie MacDougall.

Five actors in colorful costumes perform energetically on a stage set in a grand, cathedral-like hall with arched windows, theatrical props, and echoes of The Bear and L'heure espagnole.

A woman in a black dress sings in front of a closed black casket and a portrait of an older man, evoking the dramatic flair of L'heure espagnole, with a decorative backdrop in a dimly lit room.

A woman sings beside a coffin and a portrait of an older man in a church, evoking the emotional depth of The Bear; a man sits nearby, watching her intently.

Performance details

Show times: Evening; 7.15pm
Running time: 2 hours, including interval
Additional information: Sung in French and English with English supertitles.

Discounts

Friends 10% off full price tickets booked before 22 May. After 22 May, £3 off – Read more about the Friends discount

Scottish Opera Supporters 10% off full price tickets booked before 22 May.

Accessibility information

Audio described performance Sat 15 November, 7.15pm
Touch tours Sat 15 November, 6pm

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Credits

Creative team
Conductor Alexandra Cravero, Director Jacopo Spirei, Designer Kenneth Macleod, Lighting Designer Andrew Burnside, with The Orchestra of Scottish Opera

Cast of L’heure espagnole
Concepción Lea Shaw, Torquemada Jamie MacDougall, Ramiro Daniel Barrett, Don Iñigo Gomez Edward Jowle
Gonzalve Luvo Maranti

Cast of The Bear
Yelena Ivanovna Chloe Harris, Grigory Stepanovich Smirnov Daniel Barrett, Luke Edward Jowle

In partnership with Lammermuir Festival
Proudly supported by The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust and Friends of Scottish Opera