L’Uomo Femina is a baroque satirical opera, or dramma giocoso, that playfully examines reversed gender roles in a fictional society.
Two shipwrecked men land on an island ruled by women, where the males are docile, coquet and even a bit timid. Agnès Jaoui joyfully adapts this surprisingly modern fable from the 18th century, which gives plenty of food for thought about the way society assigns roles to each gender.

The princess Cretidea has sole rule over her subjects. She leads the armies, collects lovers, and reassures her favourite, who fears that one day she’ll tire of him if his haircut fails to please her. But the princess falls madly in love with Roberto, one of the two castaways, who refuses to submit to the laws of the island. Thus opens a spirited debate, carried by the flamboyant music of Galuppi: who must submit? Who must govern? Which is the weaker sex? After hoisting high the colours for Lully’s powerful Armide, Vincent Dumestre and Le Poème Harmonique return to the Opéra de Dijon with this satirical gem in the company of a top-tier cast.