Tickets and Events
Visit us
Stream
Learning and Schools
Join and support
About
The Royal Opera
Music Director Designate
Jakub Hrůša
Director of Opera
Oliver Mears

Jenůfa

OPERA IN THREE ACTS

Cast sheet

Wednesday 15 January 2025

|

7pm

The 65th performance by The Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House.
Please note that casting is subject to change up until the start of the performance. Please continue to check the website for the most up-to-date information.

Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust

Generous philanthropic support from Susan and John Singer, John McGinn and Cary Davis, Royal Ballet and Opera Patrons and The American Friends Of Covent Garden 

Approximate timings

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours 55 minutes, including two intervals
Act I
45 minutes
Interval
25 minutes
Act II
50 minutes
Interval
20 minutes
Act III
35 minutes
Credits

Music

Leoš Janáček

Libretto

based on the play Její pastorkyňa by Gabriela Preissová

Leoš Janáček

The Brno version of Jenůfa edited by

Sir Charles Mackerras and Dr John Tyrrell

By arrangement with Universal Edition A.G. Wien

Conductor

Jakub Hrůša

Director

Claus Guth

Revival Director

Oliver Platt

Set designer

Michael Levine

Costume designer

Gesine Völlm

Lighting designer

James Farncombe

Choreographer

Teresa Rotemberg

Video Designer

rocafilm

Dramaturg

Yvonne Gebauer

Cast

Jenůfa

Corinne Winters

Kostelnička Buryjovka

Karita Mattila

Laca Klemeň

Nicky Spence

Števa Buryja

Thomas Atkins

Grandmother Buryjovka

Hanna Schwarz

Foreman

James Cleverton

Mayor

Jonathan Lemalu

Mayor's Wife

Marie McLaughlin

Karolka

Valentina Puskás

Jana

Kirsty McLean

replaces Isabela Díaz

Herdswoman

Veena Akama-Makia

Barena

Jingwen Cai

Aunt

Renata Skarelyte

Voices

Marianne Cotterill, Nigel Cliffe

Dancers

Emily Adams, Bjorn Aslund, Krystine Cunningham, Stefanos Dimoulas, Megan Griffiths, Aitor Viscarolasaga Lopez, David Murley, Belinda Roy

Children

Alexander Chin, Sedef Ekram, Jasper Franklin, Naylarey Goode, Esme Guptawright, Toby Higgins, Lorcan Reilly, Nico Smith, Pariss Bekir Stafford, Daisy Walsh

Valentina Puskás, Veena Akama-Makia and Jingwen Cai are Jette Parker Artists
Chorus and Orchestra

Chorus

Royal Opera Chorus

Chorus Director

William Spaulding

Orchestra

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Principal Guest Concert Master

by Arrangement with TRITTICO

Vasko Vassilev

Production credits

Music preparation

Patrick Milne, Christopher Willis, Lada Valešová

Assistant Director

Simon Iorio

Assistant Choreographer

Silvia Aruj-Haigh

Czech language coach

Lada Valešová

Patron

HM The King

Music Director Designate

Jakub Hrůša

Director of Opera

Oliver Mears

Director of Casting

Peter Mario Katona

Associate Director

Netia Jones

Administrative Director

Cormac Simms

Following the deaths of her sons, the mill-owner Grandmother Buryjovka lives with her two orphaned grandsons, Števa...

A remote Moravian village.    

Following the deaths of her sons, the mill-owner Grandmother Buryjovka lives with her two orphaned grandsons, Števa and Laca. Their step-aunt, the Kostelnička (or church warden), is foster-mother to Buryjovka’s other orphaned grandchild, Jenůfa. The Kostelnička and Jenůfa live at Grandmother Buryjovka’s mill, which Števa will one day inherit.    

ACT I  

Jenůfa has become pregnant by Števa. She waits anxiously to hear if Števa has been conscripted into the army. Grandmother Buryjovka scolds her for not getting on with her work. Laca, who has been in love with Jenůfa since their childhood days, complains that his grandmother has never loved him, and favours Števa. He is trying to carve a whip handle but complains that the knife is blunt. He asks the Foreman to sharpen it. Jana, a herdswoman, jubilantly announces that Jenůfa has taught her to read. The Foreman confirms that Števa has not been drafted into the army. Jenůfa is thrilled but Laca is desolate. A group of villagers and soldiers arrive with Števa, who is drunk. Števa boasts about his wealth and popularity with the girls, then forces Jenůfa to dance.  

The Kostelnička arrives and scolds Števa for his drunkenness. She recalls her own unhappy marriage to Grandmother Buryjovka’s alcoholic younger son Tóma, who beat her, and tells Števa that he cannot marry Jenůfa until he has managed to stay sober for a year. Grandmother Buryjovka orders everyone away, and Števa and Jenůfa are left alone. Jenůfa begs him for some reassurance. Initially Števa scolds her for nagging him, but then relents and praises her beauty, particularly her rosy cheeks. Laca overhears him.  

When Števa has gone, Laca confronts Jenůfa, criticizing Števa for his overbearing behaviour. Jenůfa refuses to hear a word against Števa. As Jenůfa and Laca argue, his knife accidentally slashes her cheek. Full of remorse, he runs off. The Foreman shouts that he cut Jenůfa on purpose. 

INTERVAL  
ACT II  

Five months have passed. Jenůfa has given birth to a baby boy, now a week old. Ashamed of the baby’s illegitimacy, the Kostelnička has hidden the mother and child away, pretending that Jenůfa has gone to stay in Vienna. The Kostelnička arranges a meeting with Števa, in the hope of saving her stepdaughter’s reputation, and gives Jenůfa a sleeping draft. When Števa arrives, the Kostelnička implores him to see his son, and to marry Jenůfa. Števa assures the Kostelnička that he feels sorry for Jenůfa. He says that he will provide money in secret, as no one must know the baby is his. But he refuses to marry Jenůfa: now that her face is scarred he no longer loves her, and in any case he has become engaged to the Mayor’s daughter Karolka.  

The Kostelnička continues to plead, and Števa runs away. The Kostelnička curses him and his son. Laca appears. The Kostelnička confesses to him that Jenůfa never went to Vienna, and tells him about the child. Laca wants to marry Jenůfa but is reluctant to take on Števa’s baby. The Kostelnička quickly lies that the child has died. Laca leaves, promising to return and propose to Jenůfa when she wakes up. In desperation, the Kostelnička decides to murder the illegitimate baby, and runs with it from the house. 

Jenůfa wakes, and panics when she cannot find her baby. She hallucinates that he has been taken from her by angry villagers, then, as her head clears, guesses that her foster-mother must have taken him to the Buryjovka mill. To calm herself, she prays. The Kostelnička returns and informs her foster-daughter that she has slept for two days, during which time her baby died. She also tells Jenůfa that Števa no longer loves her, and urges her to marry Laca. Laca returns and begs Jenůfa to be his wife. Still stunned at the loss of her son, Jenůfa agrees. As the Kostelnička blesses the couple and curses Števa, she has a terrifying vision of divine vengeance. Jenůfa and Laca support her as she collapses. 

INTERVAL  
ACT III 

On Jenůfa’s wedding day two months later, the Mayor and his wife comment on the Kostelnička’s frailty and nervousness, and Jenůfa’s sadness. Laca tells Jenůfa how much he loves her, and how their relationship has transformed his life – he is even prepared to invite Števa to their wedding. Števa and Karolka arrive. While Karolka chats cheerfully and flirts with Števa, he seems ill at ease. A group of village girls come to sing a wedding song to Jenůfa, and Grandmother Buryjovka prepares to bless the couple. 

The wedding celebrations are interrupted by Jana, who announces that the frozen corpse of a baby has been discovered in the river. Jenůfa recognizes the baby as hers. The villagers accuse her of infanticide, and call for her to be stoned to death. Laca attempts to protect Jenůfa, but it is the Kostelnička who manages to silence the crowd, by confessing her crime. She kneels to beg Jenůfa’s forgiveness and is stunned when Jenůfa asks her to get up: she understands that her foster-mother only committed murder in an attempt to protect her. The Mayor leads the Kostelnička away and the crowd disperses. 

Jenůfa and Laca are left alone. She tells him that he should not marry a disgraced woman, and praises his goodness, assuring him that she forgives him for slashing her cheek. Laca insists that he wishes to remain with Jenůfa. Overwhelmed by his loyalty, Jenůfa declares that she can at last reciprocate his love, and that they will try to go on to make a new life together. 

Guidance
Suitable for ages 12+
This production contains moderate violence and references to infanticide. This production also features flashing lights.

Language

Sung in Czech with English surtitles. Captions and translations in English will be displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Further information

We are working hard on our commitment towards becoming more sustainable and are striving for our net zero goal of 2035. By using digital cast sheets and e-tickets, we have reduced our paper consumption by over five tonnes per year. You can view our digital cast sheets on a computer, tablet or smartphone by scanning the QR codes displayed around the building using your smartphone’s camera app. They are also displayed on screens outside the auditoria. Cast sheets are generously supported by the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.

Photography and filming are prohibited during performances in any of our auditoriums. You are welcome to take pictures throughout the rest of the  building and before performances and share them with us through social media. Commercial photography and filming must be agreed in advance with our press team.

Larger bags and backpacks need to be check into our complimentary cloakrooms. Unattended bags may be removed.

Please do not place any personal belongings on the ledges in front of you. Mobile phones should be turned off and stored away safely during performances.

Only bottled water and ice cream purchased from the premises can be taken into the auditorium.

If you arrive late to the auditorium or leave during a performance, you will not be allowed back to your seat until the interval or a suitable break.

Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the premises.

The safety of our visitors, staff and artists is our priority. To help us provide a comfortable experience for everyone, please be mindful of others and their personal space.

Our staff are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and we ask that you show them and your fellow audience members respect too. We adopt a zero-tolerance approach in response to anyone who interacts with our staff or with fellow audience members in an intimidating, aggressive or threatening manner.

We rely on your support to make world-class ballet and opera for everyone. With your donations we can ensure a bright future for the Royal Ballet and Opera, bringing communities together and inspiring future generations up and down the country.

For people, not profit.

rbo.org.uk/donate

Sign up now to our newsletter to get our latest news, offers and alerts

Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)