The show that I’ve been working on with Katie Mitchell opens tonight at the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House.  It’s based on the biblical story of the 3 angels who visit Abraham and Sarah on their way to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorra .  They drop in to tell Sarah that she’s going to have a baby.  She’s 92.  The music is beautiful and it’s been set in a stunning religious painting/Bill Viola style triptych.  It’s only 45 minutes long.

Come and have a look!

Here’s some official info:

The world premiere in the Linbury Studio Theatre of James MacMillan’s new opera Clemency is a major event. Commissioned by ROH2, it comes after the success of MacMillan’s opera Parthenogenesis in 2009 and has been written in collaboration with the same librettist, Michael SymmonsRoberts, and continues some of its themes. The opera draws on the biblical tale of Sarah and Abraham, who in old age are told that they are to have a new child. This compact interpretation of a familiar story introduces a contemporary twist to create the spiritual intensity and reflection for which MacMillan’s work is so well known. As with Parthenogenesis, the director is Katie Mitchell, renowned for the psychological acuity and innovative theatricality of her stagings. The Britten Sinfonia will again be the orchestra for MacMillan’s intense music in this new chamber opera of biblical and dramatic power.

You can find booking information here.

And here’s a photo by me: