Jenůfa has a secret. In a small community where everyone knows your business, she is about to bring shame on herself and her family by having a child out of wedlock. She hopes to marry the father, the drunken and womanising Števa before the secret is revealed but her interfering stepmother, Kostelnička, has other plans. Thinking she is protecting Jenůfa from shame she gives her a sleeping draft, and takes the baby. Believing the baby has died, Laca offers to save Jenůfa’s reputation by marrying her but on their wedding day the dark truth of what really happened is revealed.
A heart-wrenching tale of hope, love and despair, Jenůfa has captivated audiences for a century. WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus conducts Katie Mitchell’s acclaimed production that was described as ‘the most powerful yet’ last time it toured.
