Carmen at the Irish National Opera: "The whole opera is her living on her own terms and wanting freedom. It’s amazing to see a woman not caring about being palatable to others"

In Georges Bizet’s brilliantly compelling opera Carmen, a headstrong, gypsy factory worker in Seville falls for a soldier – but then leaves him for a bullfighter, answering to no one but herself. It’s a defiance that ultimately gets her killed by the man she cast aside.

Since Carmen premiered in 1875, the titular protagonist has become one of opera’s most performed and misunderstood characters, with readings of her shifting over the decades from femme fatale to fiercely independent woman.

That’s the appeal of Carmen: every production finds something new in the same timeless story. Irish National Opera’s  upcoming production – running at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin from November 2 – 7.

Taking the title role is Irish mezzo soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, widely regarded as one of the most exciting young voices in opera today. She already knows the story very well, having previously played Mercédès, one of Carmen’s companions for INO and the title role for ENO in 2025.

Playing the main character also brings an interesting new challenge. O’Sullivan will sing Carmen in French for the first time, after a career mostly singing in German. At least she’ll have home comforts. O’Sullivan grew up in Cork, but trained in Dublin under the legendary teacher Dr Veronica Dunne.

“Dublin is a very special place for me,” says O’Sullivan. “I got my operatic training there, so being at home, of course, is very special. I’ve sung in INO’s production of Carmen before as the smaller role, Mercédès, so I know it quite well. It’ll be nice to dive back into it, singing Carmen this time.

“Every time I go back to Carmen, I try to find different things. It’s easy to get stuck in the stereotypical Carmen that everyone sees: the bold, the fiery, the seductive, rather than the other side – the vulnerable side, which, for me, is the more interesting part.

“It’s easy to play the kind of sexy Carmen, but actually finding the deeper meaning is more interesting. So I’ll be exploring all those things.”

The setting is another departure. Rather than the opera’s original Seville, this production places the story in a non-specific, 1950s Spanish/Latin world.

“It’s bright and vibrant and colorful,” enthuses O’Sullivan. “But the storytelling and relationships are the centre of it, and the director, Paul Curran, has really worked hard on that. It’s nice to have the Spanish feel and the heat, but also a modern twist. Carmen is not in the typical Spanish outfits.

“It is more relatable to audiences when they can see everyday clothes, rather than an old, traditional production. It feels a little more real. I think the best thing about opera these days – and trying to get more people on board – is making it as real and relatable as possible. It’s a story that doesn’t seem too far from real life.

“It might make you question a few things. In genera, opera has become a lot less about standing on stage, and singing an aria and not moving. It’s absolutely more accessible, and more young people are getting involved. It’s becoming quite popular at the moment, which is very exciting.”

That realism and relatability helps O’Sullivan too.

“The more real it feels, the more I can put myself in her shoes, rather than playing a character,” she explains. “I feel with Carmen, or with any character I play, I try to find myself in her at some point. That reads better to an audience, and the more I can relate to a production, the easier it is for me to put myself into it.”

So what does the elusive Carmen actually want?

“Ultimately, freedom,” O’Sullivan opines. “The whole opera is her living on her own terms and wanting freedom. It’s amazing to see a woman not caring about being palatable to others. She’s so confident and aware of her surroundings. She’s so socially intelligent.

“That’s the amazing thing about her: she doesn’t care what’s expected. She just lives and loves on her own terms, and it’s really admirable.”

• Carmen runs at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin from November 2 – 7. For more information, including tickets, visit irishnationalopera.ie.