The Last Hotel, Royal Opera House

Irish playwright Enda Walsh (Ballyturk, Misterman) is one of the most prolific and diverse theatrical writers of our time; in the past decade he has brought around twenty productions to the London stage, almost always directed by himself. It was only a matter of time before he expanded onto the operatic stage.

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The Last Hotel, written in collaboration with countryman composer Donnacha Dennehy (The Hunger, Stainless Staining), brings Walsh’s vision to the Royal Opera’s Linbury Studio. The story, which promises grisly murder, will track the meeting of a married couple, a young woman and a cleaner in a dank, blood-stained hotel. It promises to be a visceral psychological thriller that pauses to examine themes of duty and guilt. Andre de Ridder will conduct the Crash Ensemble, Dublin-based and co-founded by Dennehy himself.

Both artists are known for their concern with the debris of Ireland’s history, whether through plumbing national psychology or repurposing traditional music, so this should be a fitting match.