World premiere of Marnie | A new opera by Nico Muhly
8th November 2017
A new opera by Nico Muhly receives its world premiere run at English National Opera opening on November 18. With a libretto by Nicholas Wright, Marnie is based on the novel by Winston Graham, by special arrangement with Universal Pictures. It examines the cost of freedom, the limitations of forgiveness and the impossibility of escaping the past.
The production is directed by Tony Award-winning Michael Mayer who will be making his UK opera debut, collaborating with ENO Music Director Martyn Brabbins. The cast includes Grammy Award-winning mezzo Sasha Cooke in the title role, bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch and ENO favourite Lesley Garrett.
Marnie is a compelling psychological thriller set in England during the late 1950s. A young woman, Marnie, makes her way through life by embezzling from her employers, before she moves on and changes her identity. When her current boss Mark Rutland catches her red-handed, he blackmails her into a loveless marriage. Marnie is left with no choice but to confront the hidden trauma from her past.
Following Muhly's critically acclaimed Two Boys in 2011, this will be the composer’s second co-production between ENO and the Metropolitan Opera, New York. The initial run at ENO will consist of five performances taking place on November 18, 26 & 28 and December 1 & 3. The Metropolitan Opera, who commissioned the work, will present the second run in 2018.
Book tickets and read full details on the ENO website
