The Rape of Lucretia - opera by Benjamin Britten at Jacksons Lane Theatre

At the camp, soldiers grow restless, eager for the war to begin. At home, their families wait anxiously, longing for it to end. Then, in a single night, an act of violence changes everything…

HGO presents Benjamin Britten’s gripping and emotional The Rape of Lucretia, an unflinching examination of the darkest recesses of human nature. Composed in the shadow of the Second World War, it confronts sexual violence and the abuse of power, tracing tragic consequences that ripple through lives and communities. Scored for eight voices and chamber ensemble, its haunting beauty is intensely intimate.

Following their award-winning production for HGO of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin’ (2024), directors Eleanor Burke and Alex Gotch reunite with conductor Oliver Cope for a gripping new staging of Britten’s first chamber opera, with a sparkling cast of young singers.