Count Almaviva of Madrid wants what he can’t have - and that happens to be the hand of a beautiful young noblewoman named Rosine. Rosine is held prisoner by her jealous guardian, Bartholo, who would prefer to keep the lady and her inheritances for himself. Enlisting the help of his wily servant, Figaro, Almaviva plots, schemes and disguises his way into the home and heart of his love, and ultimately proves the moral of the story: “when youth and love are at one, anything that age may do to prevent them can only be described as a futile precaution.”
Filled to the brim with romance, misunderstandings, disguises, hidden doorways, lost letters, music and laughter, The Barber of Seville is a genre-defining classic of French Farce, and the inspiration for Rossini’s beloved opera by the same name.
The Barber of Seville guide sections
