Philip Venables' opera adaptation of Sarah Kane's play '4.48 Psychosis' has been revived at the Linbury Theatre in London. The opera, which first debuted in 2016, was commissioned by the Royal Opera and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Sarah Kane's original play, '4.48 Psychosis', was her final work, confronting clinical depression. It was first performed posthumously in 2000, following her death by suicide in 1999.
Venables' score incorporates minimalist licks, synth-pop, and baroque influences, setting Kane's original text almost entirely across 24 sections. The libretto explores themes of depression and isolation through poetic abstraction and exchanges between a patient and a psychologist.
The current production, directed by Ted Huffman, features a subtly revised ending and a cast of six singers, including Jacquelyn Stucker as the protagonist. Naomi Woo conducts the 14-piece Chroma chamber orchestra, which includes saxophones, piano synthesiser, and accordion.