 |
| Ben Edge: Devil’s Den |
Last year I chatted to conductor Finnegan Downie Dear (artistic director of Shadwell Opera) and composer Isabella Gellis about Shadwell Opera’s semi-staged presentation of Gellis’ new opera, The Devil’s Den at the Nevill Holt Festival [see my interview]. Now, the opera is getting its world premiere staging when Shadwell Opera joins forces with Opera North to present The Devil’s Den at Opera North’s Howard Assembly Room on 15 November 2025.
The production is directed by Jack Furness and conducted by Finnegan Downie Dear, with a strong cast featuring ennifer France, Lotte Betts-Dean, Nicholas Morris, and Ossian Huskinson. Also on stage will be Sheffield City Morris as the opera is the first ever to feature a live Morris Dancing Side as part of its dramatic structure.
Inspired by the painting by British artist Ben Edge, The Devil’s Den tells a haunting story of a child, a rabbit, a druid, and a devil, set in a nameless English village bound by ancient ritual to create a bold, atmospheric work rooted in English folklore, ritual, and superstition.
Audiences are invited to make a day of it: alongside the two performances, the Howard Assembly Room will host folk singing and Morris dancing workshops, and talks with artists and musicians, creating a fully immersive folk-meets-opera day out.
Full details from Opera North’s website.
