To Die for [A Comedy] - English National Opera

To Die for [A Comedy] - English National Opera description

Back in 1928, almost a century ago, a play by Nikolai Erdman called The Suicide was banned in Russia. Then, when Russia invaded Ukraine, a new opera inspired by Erdman's play called To Die for [A Comedy] was also banned for not being patriotic enough. Playing at the London Coliseum for one night only, this is the UK premiere of British-Russian composer Elena Langer's opera, in the capital after its world premiere in the Netherlands. Directed by Sam Brown and conducted by Adrian Kelly, the libretto is by Arkady Zastyrets, translated into English by Maggie F. Gottlieb. 

This story is perfect for our celeb-obsessed culture. You'll meet one man whose life has gone horribly wrong. It's the 1990s, the USSR has fallen apart and there's an epic yet dodgy economic boom underway, but poor Semyon Podsekayev keeps missing the mark. When his latest idea fails he decides to commit suicide, only to have his personal tragedy co-opted by monstrous, scandal-hungry people who want to make a profit out of his misery. When they try to turn his suicide into a TV show, he wonders if maybe his life is worth something after all.

Playing at London Coliseum (venue info)