Hailed by Stephen Daldry as 'one of the dozen or so most important theatre directors working anywhere in the world', Simon McBurney, Artistic Director of Complicite, makes his operatic debut with the premiere of a new work proudly following in the absurdist tradition of Shostakovich's The Nose and Schnittke's Life with an Idiot, both former ENO successes. Based on Mikhail Bulgakov's once-banned satire on the New Soviet Man, Alexander Raskatov's A Dog's Heart tells of a stray mongrel who becomes human after an experimental organ transplant. But, as the Professor soon discovers to his cost, a beast is still a beast, even if it looks like a man.

'A total sensory extravaganza... There is so much wit and polish in Burney?s staging and so much musical excellence in the performance that it is hard to single out specific elements for praise' **** FINANCIAL TIMES on A Dog's Heart at De Nederlandse Opera, June 2010

For this exciting new co-production with De Nederlandse Opera in collaboration with Complicite, we welcome back two of the team behind Anthony Minghella's Olivier Award-winning Madam Butterfly: set designer Michael Levine and master puppeteers Blind Summit Theatre, who created the eerily human puppet of Butterfly's child and will here bring Sharik the dog to life.

Nov 20, 22, 24, 26, 30 & Dec 2 at 7.30pm , Dec 4 at 6.30pm

7 performances. Running time: To be announced

A De Nederlandse Opera/English National Opera production in collaboration with Complicite. Built by DNO

SUITABLE FOR AGE 14 AND OVER