Synopsis
Fridolin XXIV of Krokodyne Déchu, overthrown by the genie Robin-Luron and replaced by the despotic and populist Roi Carotte, the chief of the vegetables, becomes confronted by all kinds of crazy and marvellous adventures: from the spells of the witch Coloquinte to his encounter with the wizard Quiribi and Rosée-du-Soir, who then help him to recover his throne and depose the tyrannous Carotte.

A burlesque nightmare
Based on a tale by Hoffmann, Offenbach and his librettist Victorien Sardou (the author of Tosca) draw the spectators into a fantastical story with a philosophical resonance which is just as much of a nightmare as it is the burlesque yarn of a journey in wonderland. The whole is borne up by the verbal humour and striking music of its two “fathers”. Premiering in 1872, Le Roi Carotte has here been adapted by Agathe Mélinand and directed by Laurent Pelly who have thrown themselves joyfully into the task, with their dialogues and delightful anachronisms, without forgetting Chantal Thomas’s costumes and sets. The result is as dramatically gripping as it is hilarious, as touching is it is deliciously catchy. There is a surprise at each instant, while still remaining faithful to the indomitable, fantastical spirit of the king of opera buffa.

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Fantasy opera-buffa in three acts, 1872
Libretto by Victorien Sardou after a tale by Hoffmann
Critical edition by Jean-Christophe Keck, Boosey & Hawkes

Revival of the 2015 production by the Opéra de Lyon