March 06, 2013, 12:28 pm -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- It's not often that ‘new' opera causes a stir. Apart from the media-inspired successes of shows like Jerry Springer: The Opera, it's not often that a new operatic sensation (that isn't a singer) takes the mainstream by storm.
He might not be as ubiquitous as modern versions of Don Juan or Anna Nicole-Smith The Opera, but composer George Benjamin has become a name to watch on the musical/theatre scene.
Praised in 2006 for his collaboration with playwright Martin Crimp on a re-telling of the Pied Piper, now he returns to London's Royal Opera House with a full-length piece: Written on Skin.
Set in 13th-century Provence, the story follows The Protector, who invites a scribe known as The Boy into his home and commissions a manuscript. However, when The Boy gets a little too close to the Protectors wife, an unimaginably violent tale runs its course.
The story of love, passion and violence is narrated by three angels who are placed in present day, with Benjamin's score described by The Guardian described as "more impassioned, more sensuously beautiful and, at times, more fiercely dramatic than anything he has written before."
It is sure to be a big draw for fans of contemporary opera. If you're looking for a cheap London hotel to complement your evening out, the UK's number one website for London, Londontown.com has some great deals and ideas for guests.
Stay at the Club Quarters St Paul's Hotel for £119 for a double on March 9th – a discount of 57%. Or enjoy 4* luxury a mere 5 minutes' walk from the venue at the Club Quarters Lincoln's Inn Fields property - £167 a night. http://www.LondonTown.com
-ENDS-