Carmen Jones, by Oscar Hammerstein II, with music by Georges Bizet, will be an integral part of the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall this summer. The fully staged, brand new production will be directed by Jude Kelly, with design by Michael Vale, choreography by Rafael Bonachela and musical direction by Simon Lee.

Carmen Jones is the musical adaptation and update of Bizet's masterful operatic score for Carmen, with an African-American setting. Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the book and dialogue, and the music, which is essentially Bizet's original score, was re-orchestrated by Robert Russell Bennett.