Rigoletto is regarded as the first operatic masterpiece of Verdi's mature artistic period. It's complex psychology identifies characters with different styles of music, and with an incredible variety of accents for a central figure conceived by the composer as 'deformed and laughable, but actually passionate and full of love'. From the famous aria La donna è mobile, to the final horrific tragedy as the curse unfolds, the triumphant success of Rigoletto since it's premiere in 1851 has endured to the present day. The work is set for modern stage here by Italian director Davide Livermore.