Performed at Madrid's historic Teatro Real in 2018, Ivor Bolton conducts Benjamin Britten's opera based on Lytton Strachey's 1928 Elizabeth and Essex: A Tragic History. In her repeated clashes with the Earl of Essex-a longtime favorite of the queen who was ultimately put to death for treason-Elizabeth I is depicted as flawed and vain, human and sympathetic.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Anna Caterina AntonacciQueen Elizabeth I | Queen Elizabeth I |
| LLeonardo CapalboRobert Devereux, Earl of Essex | Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex |
| PPaula MurrihyFrances, Countess of Essex | Frances, Countess of Essex |
| DDuncan RockCharles Blount, Lord Mountjoy | Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy |
| SSophie BevanPenelope, Lady Rich | Penelope, Lady Rich |
 Leigh MelroseSir Robert Cecil | Sir Robert Cecil |
| DDavid SoarSir Walter Raleigh | Sir Walter Raleigh |
| BBenedict NelsonHenry Cuffe | Henry Cuffe |
| EElena CoponsA Lady-in-Waiting | A Lady-in-Waiting |
| JJames CreswellA Blind Ballad-Singer | A Blind Ballad-Singer |
| SSam FurnessThe Spirit of the Masque | The Spirit of the Masque |
| ÀÀlex SanmartíThe City Crier | The City Crier |
| SScott WildeThe Recorder of Norwhich | The Recorder of Norwhich |
 Itxaro MentxakaA Housewife | A Housewife |
| GGerardo LopezThe Master of Ceremonies | The Master of Ceremonies |
| DDan ThomasVihuela | Vihuela |