Gaston Leroux - The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera is a timeless love story and tragic mystery, immortalised in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical. This Phantom of the Opera synopsis centres on a brilliant but disfigured composer, known as the Phantom, who secretly lives beneath the Paris Opéra Populaire. Obsessed with the young, talented soprano Christine Daaé, he becomes her mysterious "Angel of Music," nurturing her talent through a series of demanding, private lessons.

The Phantom's possessive love for Christine clashes with her rekindled romance with her childhood friend, the dashing Vicomte Raoul de Chagny. Consumed by jealousy, the Phantom terrorizes the opera house and its patrons, demanding that Christine be given the lead roles and unleashing chaos with his dark, haunting melodies. The dramatic tension builds to a climax in the Phantom’s subterranean lair, where he abducts Christine.

Raoul bravely pursues them, leading to a fateful confrontation. The Phantom offers Christine a terrible choice: stay with him, saving Raoul's life, or leave, condemning her lover. Her compassionate act in this moment of crisis breaks the curse of the Phantom’s loneliness. In the end, he chooses to release Christine and Raoul, disappearing forever and leaving only his signature mask behind. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece is a powerful exploration of a tragic love triangle, elevated by its unforgettable score and a poignant story of obsession and redemption.