The Belfast Ensemble Presents ABOMINATION: A DUP OPERA by Conor Mitchell 

After a sell-out run at Outburst Queer Arts Festival, this award-winning smash-hit opera makes its Dublin premiere. Fusing opera performance with drag, cabaret and political satire, acclaimed composer Conor Mitchell amplifies his fresh, bold vision for contemporary classical music to explore attitudes to LGBTQ people.

Abomination, A DUP Opera takes as its source material the 2008 Nolan/Iris Robinson radio interview when the MLA famously described homosexuality as 'an abomination'. Featuring historical and recent comments by DUP members on gay rights, trans lives, marriage equality, 'poofs' and 'perverts', Abomination, A DUP Opera sets the infamous Iris Robinson radio broadcast to live orchestral music.

Composer, Conor Mitchell said "This is the stuff of grand opera! A tragic heroine. A clash of faith and society. It's truly, truly operatic. For me, the words of Iris Robinson were a wakeup call about the power of language in this country. Words matter. For me, this is what new music is about; it can focus on words - make them sing without making explicit comments. That's up to the audience."

With a truly impressive cast Canadian soprano Rebecca Caine takes on the role of Iris Robinson. Caine first rose to fame as the original Cosette in Les Misérables. Since then, she has toured the world, being a well-known soloist to both opera and musical theatre audiences alike.

With their unique high-impact, multi-disciplinary style, the Belfast Ensemble wrap this story in a fresh web of incendiary historical comments by DUP members on the subject of gay rights, marriage equality, 'poofs' and 'perverts' to shockingly theatrical effect - challenging the power of words in the hands of the powerful.

The opera comes to Dublin this March. Tickets are available now via the Abbey Theatre website.

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