Two angels fall to earth. Heaven help them.

Angels appear all too rarely. Don’t miss them. 

Care becomes contempt, and love becomes loathing in this dark, unsettling parable from contemporary composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek. 

Breaking with operatic tradition, Angel’s Bone fuses multiple musical genres, spoken word and immersive staging in an uncompromising tale of modern slavery and human trafficking. 

This UK premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, an ENO production in collaboration with Factory International and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, was staged at Aviva Studios, Manchester, in May and comes to London in October. The chorus is performed by Kantos Chamber Choir, with the Orchestra of ENO joining for the London run. 

Don’t miss Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone at the iconic London Coliseum this October – a bold, unsettling opera that will challenge and stay with you long after the curtain falls. Book tickets now.

Overview

Mr and Mrs X.E are a desperate couple facing financial crisis and a crumbling marriage, and they long for a better life. When they discover the two bruised and battered angels in their garden, they bring them inside to nurse them back to life. 

Care quickly turns to control. The couple seize the opportunity to exploit the spiritual beings in pursuit of fame and fortune. 

Brutally clipping the angels’ wings to exploit this heavenly gift, the celestial beings are subjected to degrading, inhumane practices. 

Discover the story of Angel’s Bone  

Staging & Score

Royce Vavrek’s libretto explores the dark forces that drive people into the murky underworld of human trafficking. This is underpinned by Du Yun’s eclectic style, ranging from chamber music and cabaret to electronica and punk. 

Director Kip Williams adds dynamic staging that immerses audiences in the production. By using projection and multiple viewing angles, Williams invites audiences to question their own part in the exploitation of the celestial beings. 

Singers & Creatives

Kip Williams is making his ENO and UK opera debut with Angel’s Bone. This production marks the continuation of his long-term creative collaboration with award-winning designer Marg Horwell, whose recent successes include The Maids at Donmar Warehouse, The Picture of Dorian Grey on Broadway and an upcoming production of Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo in the West End. 

Internationally renowned conductor Baldur Brönniman, who trained at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and is deeply committed to making classical music relevant in the 21st century, leads the performances. 

In the role of the couple are Scottish mezzo-soprano and singing actress Allison Cook and British baritone Rodney Earl Clarke. Cook makes a welcome return to ENO following her critically acclaimed performance as Judith in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle in 2024. Clarke has extensive onstage experience, with his musical repertoire spanning opera and musical theatre. 

The role of Girl Angel is performed by Swedish cross-genre musician and voice actress Mariam Wallentin, making her ENO debut. Best known as one half of the acclaimed duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums, her work spans experimental opera, including The Wasp Factory. Scottish tenor Matthew McKinney joins her as the character Boy Angel, and Hong Kong countertenor Keith Pun as Male Soprano. 

This production has been made possible through the generous support of a syndicate comprising Professor Mick Peake OBE.