The Rape of Lucretia

A group of bored soldiers decide to test the loyalty of the wives they have left behind at home, unleashing a cruel and reckless series of events that have shattering consequences.

Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia was written in the aftermath of the Second World War and reflects a world struggling to remake itself after enormous suffering and destruction. It remains a brutally relevant and chilling exploration of the abuse of power, shot through with glimmers of hope for a better world, with a beautiful, sparse score for just thirteen players showing beauty and lyricism wrestling with the forces of darkness.

ETO General Director Robin Norton-Hale directs and Music Director Gerry Cornelius conducts, reuniting after their critically acclaimed production of Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert in 2024.

Performed in English with English surtitles