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Act I
In eighteenth century Paris, Lescaut, Manon’s corrupt brother, is outside a seedy inn amid a frozen scene of beggars, courtesans and wealthy aristocrats…
The inn comes alive and the young Manon arrives. She instantly bewitches everyone with her beauty and she dances for them until she is scared by a rat catcher.
Outside the inn Manon meets a handsome young student, Des Grieux, and they fall instantly in love. Although Manon is promised as mistress to an old wealthy gentleman, she and Des Grieux decide to elope.
The old gentleman and another admirer, Monsieur GM, return to find Manon has escaped. Monsieur GM also wants Manon as his mistress and strikes a deal with Lescaut.
Manon and Des Grieux have fled to his apartment and as the young man tries to study, Manon lovingly teases and distracts him. They express their love in passionate duet, before Des Grieux leaves the apartment.
Lescaut and Monsieur GM find Manon at the apartment. Servants bring her jewellery and a fur coat to entice her into becoming Monsieur GM’s mistress. Fuelled by greed, Manon leaves with Monsieur GM.
Des Grieux returns and Lescaut tries to convince him to allow the affair by showing him the money he has been given by Monsieur GM. Des Grieux is distraught to discover that Manon has left.
Act II
Inside the inn, girls dance and compete for the richest customers. Des Grieux arrives with a drunken Lescaut, looking for Manon.
Manon arrives with Monsieur GM, looking beautiful in her expensive clothes. Des Grieux begs Manon to leave her life as an illegal courtesan. She replies that life without money is worthless so she convinces Des Grieux to cheat Monsieur GM at cards to win his fortune. Inexperienced and nervous, Des Grieux’s cheating is exposed but he manages to escape with Manon, while Lescaut is arrested.
As the lovers prepare to escape from Paris, they quarrel over whether to leave Manon’s jewellery behind. Monsieur GM bursts into the apartment with armed policemen carrying Lescaut who has been beaten. The policemen arrest Manon and Monsieur GM shoots Lescaut for his part in the cheating.
Act III
Manon has been deported to New Orleans with other arrested prostitutes to be sold as servants. Their hair has been cut and they are dirty, thirsty and beg for mercy. Des Grieux has followed Manon to try to support and protect her. The Gaoler, responsible for the deported women, is struck by the beauty of Manon.
The Gaoler tries to win Manon’s affection with a piece of jewellery. She refuses but he forces her to please him. Des Grieux breaks in and kills the Gaoler. The lovers run away.
Lost in the Louisianan swamp, Manon and Des Grieux are trapped. The heat, the taxing journey and the anxiety of running away have had a lethal effect on Manon. She is delirious, images and memories from her life appear and haunt her until eventually the strain is too much and she dies in her lover’s arms.
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