Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna at the Palace Theatre 10th to 19th July 2009

Manchester International Festival scores an extraordinary coup with the international premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s first opera.

Rufus Wainwright is a true maverick. Lauded as one of the most exceptional singer-songwriters of his generation, he embraces everything from rock to Verdi in his music. Now he is completing work on Prima Donna, an opera about a prima donna who falls in love with a journalist as she nervously preparing for her big comeback.

The opera will premiere at the second Manchester International Festival. Following on from the legacy of Damon Albarn’s incredible Monkey: Journey to the West, Prima Donna is already billed as the highlight of the festival.