ENO marks the 50th anniversary of the death of one of England’s best-loved composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams, with a major new production conducted by British music specialist Richard hickox and directed by the acclaimed actress Fiona Shaw.

Closely based on J.M. Synge’s 1907 play of the same name, Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea is set in the Aran Islands and is his most moving and compelling opera. Elemental and hauntingly lyrical, the music communicates all the raw directness of a primitive myth. The opera’s visual concept will be jointly devised by Irish multi-media artist Dorothy Cross and set designer Tom Pye.

3 performances>

Run Time: One hour and 10 minutes (with prologue)

Pre-performance talk by Tony Palmer: Nov 28 at 6.00pm, London Coliseum, £4