Coppélia, presented by Cape Town City Ballet, opens at Artscape next month with three performances on 17 and 18 October 2025 accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Brandon Phillips.
The spirited classic with a lively score and a delightful story, is one of the most charming of all the classical ballets — a perfect mix of romance, mischief and magical illusion. Set in a quaint village, Coppélia tells of young Franz who becomes inexplicably fascinated by a mysterious girl he spies reading a book on the balcony of eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppelius. Unbeknownst to him, the beautiful girl is actually a mechanical doll — named ‘Coppélia’ — the inventor’s prized creation. Franz’s fiancée, Swanilda, somewhat annoyed by her beloved’s infatuation, uncovers the truth about the mannequin and sets about winning back her distracted lover and all manner of hilarious shenanigans ensue.
Guest artist and former CTCB principal Daniel Rajna stars as Dr. Coppelius in all three performances, joined by a rotating cast of Cape Town City Ballet’s leading dancers: Hannah Ward shares the lead role as Swanhilda with Isabella Blair, while Franz is danced by Leusson Muniz, Jordan Roelfze and Axton Green. Blair, Muniz and Green will be debuting in their respective roles.
Reproduced by a creative team led by Artistic Manager Tracy Li alongside repititeurs Nicolette Loxton and Lauren Rogers, and with Delibes’ captivating music featuring waltzes, mazurkas and folk-inspired dances, Coppélia remains a beloved work in the classical ballet canon and is a firm favourite with Cape Town audiences.
Performances take place at the Artscape Opera House on Friday 17 October at 19h00 (Ward/Muniz) and on Saturday 18 October at 14h00 (Blair / Roelfze) and at 19h00 (Ward/Green). Each cast promises a unique interpretation of this enchanting ballet, offering audiences a joyful escape into a world where love, laughter and a little cleverness save the day.
Tickets are available from R200 through Webtickets and Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 0214217695. @capetowncityballet
