ENO presents the world premiere of Iain Bell’s Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel with an all-star cast of iconic British singers
Opens Saturday 30 March at 7.30pm
In one of the most anticipated operatic events of the year, the story of the most notorious serial killer in British history is told from the perspective of his victims. An extraordinary cast of some of the most distinguished female singers of the last 50 years of UK opera assemble to give voice to these women, so long overshadowed by the mystery surrounding the identity of their killer. ENO Artistic Director Daniel Kramer and Music Director Martyn Brabbins reunite after the success of War Requiem to deliver this vital new work.
Josephine Barstow, Susan Bullock, Lesley Garrett, Janis Kelly, Marie McLaughlin and Natalya Romaniw provide the unparalleled array of talent onstage, portraying a community of grinding hardship as it comes under terrifying attack. The 1888 Whitechapel dosshouse that unites the victims provides the setting for a look at the hypocrisy of a Victorian society that could discard working class women so readily.
Iain Bell is one of the UK’s most impressive young composers, mining British historical and literary subjects for his critically acclaimed operas. His first, A Harlot’s Progress, drew on the paintings of Hogarth; the second, A Christmas Carol, (5*, The Financial Times) on Dickens and the third, In Parenthesis, (5*, The Independent) on First World War poetry.
Librettist Emma Jenkins, whose relationship with ENO goes back to her time as a staff director with the company, collaborates with Bell for the second time after In Parenthesis (with David Antrobus). Her previous libretto, for Rhondda Rips it Up!, dealt with the Suffragette movement and was hailed as a ‘tremendous creation’ (5*, The Times).
Dame Josephine Barstow sings dosshouse proprietor Maud, a character created for the opera. With a history of performances at the world’s leading opera houses going back 50 years, her ENO credits include Salome‚ Tosca, Violetta in La traviata‚ Leonore in Fidelio‚ and many more. She made an appearance at the National Theatre in 2017 in Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. She was made a Dame in 1995.
Internationally acclaimed baritone Alan Opie marks 50 years since his ENO debut, creating the role of the Pathologist. His previous performances with the company included Bartolo in The Barber of Seville in 2017 and Germont in La traviata in 2018. His performance in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff earned him a nomination for the 1998 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera.
ENO Music Director Martyn Brabbins conducts, marking the second collaboration of the season with Artistic Director Daniel Kramer after the acclaimed War Requiem, and his third production of the season after September 2018’s Salome. A champion of contemporary music, he has conducted hundreds of premieres over his career, described as ‘the musician’s musician’ (The Guardian). His most recent world premiere for ENO was Nico Muhly’s Marnie in 2017.
Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel opens Saturday 30 March at 7.30pm for 6 performances: 30 March, 03, 05, 08, 10, and 12 April at 7.30pm
500 tickets for £20 or less are available for each performance. Tickets start from £12*.
Plus booking fee of £2.25. No booking fee in person