Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny

Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny description

Do you love a dystopian plot? This opera is just as relevant now as it was in the 1930s when it was written, set in a city where anything goes, everything is for sale, and the pursuit of pleasure is the way forward, whatever the cost. This is The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, a rarely-performed opera unleashing a fiery storm of jazz, crime and toxic morals. The drama is beautifully directed by Olivier Award nominee Jamie Manton and stars the world-class soprano Danielle de Niese. You'll experience a brave and provocative look at consumer culture, inequality and the price of happiness through the eyes of three criminals on the run who build the town of Mahagonny in the middle of nowhere, a money-led place based on lawlessness, excess, and escapism. But what happens when the cash runs out? Will Jenny Smith and Jimmy MacIntyre survive?

A brilliant ENO cast reveals all. Rosie Aldridge plays Leokadja Begbick, Kenneth Kellogg is Trinity Moses and Mark Le Brocq plays Fatty the Bookkeeper, along with Richard Trey Smagur as Jimmy MacIntyre and Alex Otterburn as Back-Account Billy. Elgan Llŷr Thomas is Jack O’Brien, David Shipley is Alaska Wolf Joe, and Zwakele Tshabalala plays Toby Higgins. The creative team comprises conductor André de Ridder, designer Milla Clarke, and lighting designer D.M. Wood, with translation by Jeremy Sams. Powerful, moving, epic.

Playing at London Coliseum (venue info)

Performance Times for Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny