Shadwell Opera take the Arts Theatre to the Penal Colony

Enterprising young opera company Shadwell Opera is back with a pair of performances of Philip Glass's In The Penal Colony. Shadwell Opera will be performing at the Arts Theatre on 16 and 30 June, interrupting the current run of Ghost Stories at the theatre and presenting In The Penal Colony as an installation-style operatic retelling of Franz Kafka’s famously visceral short story. Directed by Jack Furness, In The Penal Colony features Nicholas Morris, Andrew Dickinson, James Swanton and Love Ssega (who sings with the band Clean Bandit). 

We are promised 'a multi-media exploration of literary and colonial attitudes towards the ethics and aesthetics of violence that will etch its message and music into your body.'

Shadwell Opera was founded by Jack Furness in 2009, and Fiona Maddocks in the Observer described their 2011 production of Britten's Albert Herring as 'fresh, touching and assured'. Furness recently directed two opera shorts for Channel 4. In The Penal Colony will be conducted by Matthew Fletcher, winner of this year's accompanist prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards.

In The Penal Colony is on 16 June and 30 June at the Arts Theatre, 6-7 Great Newport Street London, WC2H7JB. Further information at tickets from the Arts Theatre website.

You can see a preview video after the break.