Horrible Histories ‘Orrible Opera BBC Proms 2023: Full info including start and finish times

Horrible Histories will take Proms 2023 audiences on a musical look back through time this weekend. Orrible Opera is set to highlight the stories of some of the genre’s most familiar symphonies and composers.

This Saturday (July 22), BBC Proms audiences will explore the history of opera over two Horrible Histories-themed performances. The Royal Albert Hall website says music lovers can expect to "experience the very best of music’s biggest, bloodiest and most dramatic genre".

Mozart and Gershwin are just a few of the big musical names that the production will focus on. As well as the past figures, the performance will feature some of Horrible Histories’ most beloved characters and stars.

The upcoming shows will honour the 30th anniversary of the Horrible Histories franchise. However, it’s not the first time the series has performed to Proms audiences. The musical festival hosted a Horrible Histories performance back in 2011.

Here’s everything Horrible Histories fans need to know about the upcoming themed opera performance at BBC Proms 2023.

When will Horrible Histories’ Orrible Opera start and finish?

The the matinee performance will start at 2pm and wrap up around 4pm. The evening edition will commence at 6pm and is expected to end at 8pm.

Full programme for Horrible Histories’ Orrible Opera 

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - The Magic Flute – Queen of the Night’s aria (‘The Wrath of Hell’)
• Richard Wagner - The Ride of the Valkyries
• Giuseppe Verdi - Macbeth – Witches’ chorus (‘Welcome Sisters’)
• Gioachino Rossini - Cats’ Duet
• Giacomo Puccini - Turandot – ‘Nessun dorma’
• Jacques Offenbach - Orpheus in the Underworld – The Can-Can (Infernal Galop)
• Georges Bizet - Carmen – Toreador’s Song
• Gioachino Rossini - The Barber of Seville – ‘Here at your Service’
• George Gershwin - Porgy and Bess – ‘Summertime’
• Ethel Smyth - The March of the Women
• Philip Glass - Akhnaten – Funeral of Amenhotep III
• George Frideric Handel - Giulio Cesare – Stormy Winds
• Arthur Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance – Major-General’s Song (‘I am the very model’)

How to get last-minute tickets for Horrible Histories’ Orrible Opera

Horrible Histories fans may still be able to see the beloved show’s Orrible Opera performance at BBC Proms 2023. While there appear to still be limited tickets across both events, fans will also get a chance to get ‘promming’ tickets the day before the event via the venue’s website.

The concert hall reserves limited tickets that will be available for sale on the day of each Proms event. Promming tickets for the Horrible Histories’ Orrible Opera show will be available on Friday (July 21) from 10.30am.

BBC radio and iPlayer

The matinee will be broadcast on Radio 3 and the shows will be available on iPlayer.