Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Le roi s'amuse (The King Amuses Himself) by Victor Hugo
Musical director: Honoured Artist of Ukraine Viktor Ploskina
Director and lighting designer: Neeme Kuningas
Designer: Anna Kontek
Chorus master: People’s Artist of Belarus, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Nina Lomanovich
Lighting designer: Lyudmila Kunash
Conductors: Vladimir Ovodok, honoured Art Worker of the Republic of Belarus Nikolai Koliadko
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes with one interval
Sung in Italian with Russian surtitles
Premiere: 1 March 2014

Act I
At a ball that takes place at the palace of the voluptuary and licentious Duke of Mantua, his favourite, hateful jester Rigoletto, taunts and mocks the courtiers. Old Count Monterone comes and demands that the Duke answer for the abduction and dishonour of his daughter. Rigoletto’s affronts are so insulting that Monterone curses the jester, along with the Duke.
Rigoletto is disturbed by the Count’s terrible words. His mind is completely occupied by his only daughter, beautiful Gilda, who is safely hidden from the lecherous court in an isolated suburb, being under the watchful eye of their servant Giovanna. His thoughts are interrupted by Sparafucile, an assassin who offers his services. However, Rigoletto doesn’t think he needs the murderer’s help.
Seeing his daughter, the jester demands that she stay at home and be very careful. Gilda conceals from her father the fact that recently she has met a poor student at church, and her heart is not free any more. Rigoletto orders the servant to take care of the girl and leaves.
Left alone, Gilda dreams of the handsome stranger. Suddenly she sees the Duke and recognizes her beloved. Gilda is charmed by his passionate declaration, and they vow always to be faithful to each other.
Having traced the jester, the courtiers gather near Gilda’s house aiming to kidnap the beautiful girl. All of a sudden Rigoletto comes back. They fool him into thinking that he assists in an abominable rig, abduct the girl and take her to the Duke’s palace. Later the truth drives Rigoletto to despair.

Act II
The Duke, enamoured of Gilda, misses the girl who has disappeared so unexpectedly. The courtiers appear and boast of their adventure: tonight the jester has helped to kidnap his own mistress! Now she is at the palace. The Duke understands at once who she is and hurries to Gilda.
Seeing Rigoletto, the courtiers cannot help mocking him. The jester conjectures that his daughter is somewhere nearby and rushes towards the Duke’s bedroom door, but the courtiers block his way. He implores abjectly to let him pass to his daughter, but the revengeful retinue has no compassion for his entreaties and tears.
Gilda comes out to her father, her eyes filled with tears. Rigoletto swears to take revenge for his daughter’s dishonour. In a haze of love, Gilda begs to forgive the Duke, but Rigoletto remains adamant.
Rigoletto is out for his former master’s blood and turns to Sparafucile. Gilda cannot forget the Duke. To reveal the true colours of his daughter’s beloved to her, Rigoletto takes her to the tavern run by the beautiful Maddalena, Sparafucile’s sister. The Duke feels strong passion for her. Hearing them flirt, Gilda is driven to despair. A satisfied Rigoletto banishes his daughter: she must leave Mantua immediately and go to Verona where they will begin a new happy life.
Maddalena fancies the handsome young man. She implores her brother to have mercy on him and persuades Sparafucile into killing the first one who will knock at their door. Their talk is heard by Gilda who returns to warn the Duke of serious peril. She makes up her mind to save her beloved at the cost of her life and enters the tavern.

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