Based on Margaret Atwood’s seminal novel, Poul Ruders’s The Handmaid’s Tale plunges us into the Republic of Gilead, where women have been entirely stripped of their rights and freedoms.

The opera tells the story of a Handmaid given the name Offred, one of the fertile women forced to reproduce with Commanders of the Republic. This thought-provoking work magnifies the issues of state control and the fragility of freedom, as Offred wrestles with the daily terror of her reality.

With a score influenced by minimalism, medieval chanting and gospel music, the dissonant brutality of Gilead is viscerally depicted in the music itself.

This powerful new production is directed by ENO’s Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon and conducted by contemporary music specialist Joana Carneiro. An exceptional cast includes mezzo-sopranos Kate Lindsey as Offred, with Susan Bickley as her mother, soprano Emma Bell as Aunt Lydia, and Harewood Artist John Findon as Luke.

Part of the ENO 2021 to 2022 season