An Exciting New Partnership as NI Opera and Diva Opera Transform Carlisle Memorial Church into the world of La Bohème

Northern Ireland Opera today announces an ambitious new collaboration with Diva Opera to present Puccini’s La Bohème at Belfast’s iconic Carlisle Memorial Church on 16 May 2026 at 7pm.

Bringing together Diva Opera’s internationally celebrated chamber opera company and incorporating members of the NI Opera Chorus, this production places audiences at the heart of the story. Set in 1890s Paris and staged with the greatest of detail, this intimate and up-close experience performed with a Steinway grand piano, allows La Bohème to unfold within the soaring Gothic interior of the Carlisle Memorial Church taking the audience into the Parisian garrets of the Bohemians.

Diva Opera, founded over thirty years ago to take opera beyond traditional theatres and into distinctive settings, has built an international reputation as Britain’s foremost chamber opera company. Touring widely across the UK and internationally, the company’s new production of La Bohème now comes to Belfast, for the first time, in partnership with Northern Ireland Opera.

The cast stars Northern Ireland’s well-loved soprano Mary McCabe (La Voix Humaine, Eugene Onegin) as Mimì, Robyn Lyn Evans as Rodolfo, Tereza Gevorgyan as Musetta and Jean-Kristof Bouton as Marcello. McCabe’s connection with Northern Ireland Opera dates to 2010, when she first worked with the company through its artist development programmes. Over the past decade she has grown artistically through NI Opera, culminating in her acclaimed mainstage debut as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and tour-de-force solo performance of La Voix Humaine Most recently she performed La Contessa with Diva Opera in The Marriage of Figaro, making this collaboration a natural continuation of an enduring artistic relationship. NI Opera Artistic Director and Chief Executive Cameron Menzies directed for Diva Opera between 2014 and 2019.

For members of the NI Opera Chorus, the production represents a significant opportunity to perform staged repertoire alongside leading UK artists, further strengthening the company’s commitment to developing Northern Ireland-based singers with experience in paid, professional, high-calibre productions.

Northern Ireland Opera will present a week of activity at the Carlisle Memorial Church, making the most of its creative residency in the building:

• Morning Melodies: Wednesday 13 May at 11am, the company’s popular Morning Melodies series will take place in the venue, offering an informal daytime recital of small, famous opera ensembles in an intimate setting. Tickets £20 plus booking fee
• Creative Skills Talk: On Friday 15 May at 11am, audiences are invited to a talk with the Diva Opera Costume and Wigs Team, offering insight into the craft, design process and practical realities of period costuming for unconventional spaces. Tickets £10 plus booking fee
• La Bohème Saturday 16 May, 7pm, £62.50 plus booking fee, inclusive of interval reception with drinks and canapés
• All Events Ticket on sale now at £82.50 plus booking fee: includes La Bohème, Morning Melodies and the Creative Skills Talk.

This collaboration has been made possible through the generous support of the Laidlaw Opera Trust, whose grant directly enables the partnership between Diva Opera and NI Opera and supports the presentation of opera in innovative, accessible formats.

Northern Ireland Opera is principally funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The production also marks a renewed collaboration with the Belfast Buildings Trust, custodians of the Carlisle Memorial Church. NI Opera previously worked with the Trust during the lockdown award-winning film project Old Friends and Other Days and staged a previous production of La Bohème at the venue in 2021 (Opera Now: ★★★★★ “This is opera at its finest”), continuing a shared commitment to bringing major cultural activity into one of Belfast’s most striking historic buildings.

Kate Roberts, CEO of Laidlaw Opera Trust comments: “We are delighted to support this collaboration between Northern Ireland Opera and Diva Opera which brings together outstanding artistry with a deep commitment to learning, collaboration, and professional development. The chance for members of the Northern Ireland Opera chorus to work alongside Diva Opera and ultimately to perform together in La Bohème is a powerful example of partnership at its best: generous, practical, and artist‑led. We are proud to support a project that offers such a rich and meaningful exchange for everyone involved.”

Anne Marabini Young, General Director and Founder of Diva Opera comments: ‘Diva Opera is thrilled to partner with NI Opera for a week filled with inspiring projects, culminating in the premiere of our new production of La Bohème, featuring the NI Opera chorus in Act 2. Our Music Director, Bryan Evans, eagerly anticipates coaching these singers as part of their artist development programme, offering them a unique and fantastic opportunity while allowing him to discover the emerging talents of Northern Ireland.’

Cameron Menzies, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of NI Opera said ‘The partnership with Diva Opera will provide an exceptional opportunity for our emerging artists to develop their performance skills and repertoire. Through my previous work and knowledge of Diva Opera I know that this will be a production of the highest quality. We are hugely grateful to the Laidlaw Opera Trust for supporting this collaboration and look forward to welcoming audiences to experience what will be an unforgettable evening.’

Tickets for La Bohème are £62.50 plus booking fee which includes an interval reception with drinks and canapés. The production will be performed in Italian with English surtitles.  

Northern Ireland Opera is grateful for the support of Diva Opera, The Laidlaw Opera Trust, Belfast Buildings Trust and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, their principal funder, in making this project possible.

Find out more about the production and book your tickets here.