INNOCENCE Will Come to the Royal Danish Theatre in October

The Royal Danish Opera will present Innocence, the final opera by acclaimed Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, from October 11 through November 6, 2026, on the Main Stage at Copenhagen's Opera House.

Sofi Oksanen – recipient of the Nordic Council Literature Prize – has written the libretto, which, in Aleksi Barrière’s translation, beautifully complements the music of the recently deceased Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s final opera. and by Aleksi Barrière, whose text lends piercing clarity to the music of the late Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho in her final opera. The production is directed by the Australian Simon Stone, bringing together a remarkable creative team that guides the audience through a raw, nightmarish reflection on the senseless gun violence of our time – at the very heart of The Opera House.

A woman confides that she sleeps best beneath her bed or inside a wardrobe – the very places where the monsters of her childhood once lived. At a wedding reception, joy fills the room as guests celebrate the newlyweds. One of the waitresses begins to recognise the groom’s parents and struggles to recall how they are connected. A teacher remembers how much she loved her work at an international school – and how everything changed ten years ago. In a classroom, students suddenly receive a message that fills them with fear…

Structured like a psychological thriller, Innocence gradually gathers its threads into a single, devastating narrative of a fatal school shooting. The opera offers an unflinching commentary on contemporary gun violence and, above all, on its aftermath – probing questions of guilt, responsibility and collective accountability. Can anyone truly claim to be innocent?

Innocence is presented in Simon Stone’s internationally acclaimed original staging. Sofie Elkjær Jensen sings the role of the Bride, with Francine Vis as the waitress Tereza. The cast also includes Magnus Vigilius, Stephen Milling and Erika Hammarberg, who performs traditional Finnish karjankutsuu.

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