In the recently colonised Indies, against a backdrop of popular festivals and wildlife, the whirlwind romance of a British officer and a Brahim’s daughter fuels tensions in the community. Inspired by Pierre Loti, Léo Delibes enacts the driving forces of orientalist opera in a daringly contemporary plot: impossible passion, musical evocation of distant civilisation, clashes between religious fanaticism and sensuality. Lakmé has been internationally acclaimed and has become a jewel of the Opéra Comique, where it’s been played over 1,600 times since 1883. Raphaël Pichon, leading the Pygmalion ensemble, and Laurent Pelly, at the stage direction, give a truthful depiction of the characters’ personality and glorify each scene and the importance given to political issues.