Jake Heggie’s Opera ‘Dead Man Walking’
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Tickets
About this event:
- Category:
- Opera
- Event type:
- Booking required | In-person
- Admission:
- £25 (£15 concessions)
- Location:
- Silk Street Theatre
Digital Programme & Freesheet
Access the Digital Programme for Jake Heggie's Opera 'Dead Man Walking'.
Over the course of our 2022–23 season we have been trialling digital programmes to reduce the environmental impact of our performances, improve accessibility and offer additional online material to enhance the audience experience.
Event information
Dead Man Walking by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally is one of the most powerful and thought-provoking operas of recent decades, exploring questions of faith, redemption and justice.
Based on the memoir of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean, it tells the true story of a nun’s journey as a spiritual advisor to a convicted murderer on death row in Louisiana's hardline state penitentiary.
Since its premiere by San Francisco Opera in 2000, Dead Man Walking has become one of the world’s most-performed American operas, yet has been rarely staged in the UK.
Martin Lloyd-Evans directs this Guildhall School production.
“Dead Man Walking is no ordinary opera. The human drama transforms us” – The Guardian
“A work of intense music drama that deserves to be heard.” – Bachtrack
Please note this production contains adult content, including depictions of and reference to rape, murder and execution; strong language (including references to violence); scenes of physical and emotional abuse; and reference to drug and alcohol abuse. There will also be strobe lighting, haze, on-stage smoking and gun shots.
Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean
This opera was commissioned by San Francisco Opera
By arrangement with Bent Pen Music, Inc. Sole Agent: Bill Holab Music
Approximate running time: 2 hours 55 minutes including one interval
Cast and Creative team
Music by Jake Heggie
Libretto by Terrence McNally
Martin Lloyd-Evans director
Dominic Wheeler conductor
Edie Bailey & Anne Sutton assistant directors
Edwin Spark assistant conductor & chorus master
Anna Reid designer
Kyra Coppini associate designer
Anthony Doran lighting designer
Ros Chase associate lighting designer
Andy Taylor sound designer
Aoife Moran chief music coach
Alistair Burton & Michael Rose répétiteurs
Sister Helen
Alexandra Meier (Performance 1 & 3)
Alexandra Achillea Pouta (Performance 2 & 4)
Sister Rose
Lorna McLean (Performance 1 & 3)
Faryl Smith (Performance 2 & 4)
Joseph de Rocher
Michael Lafferty-Smith (Performance 1 & 3)
Patrick Dow (Performance 2 & 4)
Joseph’s Mother
Nancy Holt
Father Grenville
Mark Christian Bautista (Performance 1 & 3)
Jack Dolan (Performance 2 & 4)
Kitty
Louisa Stirland (Performance 1 & 3)
Inguna Morozova (Performance 2 & 4)
Sister Catherine
Inguna Morozova (Performance 1 & 3)
Louisa Stirland (Performance 2 & 4)
Sister Lilliane
Faryl Smith (Performance 1 & 3)
Lorna McLean (Performance 2 & 4)
Owen
Jonathan Eyers
Jade
Rachel Roper
Howard
Jack Dolan (Performance 1 & 3)
Mark Christian Bautista (Performance 2 & 4)
Prison Warden
Alaric Green
Guard 1
Emyr Jones
Guard 2
Jacob Harrison
Motorcycle Cop
Jack Dolan (Performance 1 & 3)
Mark Christian Bautista (Performance 2 & 4)
First Mother
Zoe Jackson
Mrs Charlton
Florence Cain
Younger Son
Charles Secombe
Older Son
Jacob Cole
Five solo inmates
Ed Birchinall
Hector Bloggs
Alex Harpum
Tom Lidgley
Robert Lydon
Paralegal (spoken role)
Cecilia Cole
Jimmy (spoken role)
Júlia Guix-Estrada
Chorus
Ed Birchinall
Hector Bloggs
Florence Cain
Cecilia Cole
Jacob Cole
Amanda Frisendahl
Alexander Harpum
Zoe Jackson
Thomas Lidgley
Robert Lydon
Andrea Manuel
Maud Niklas
Charles Secombe
Honor Wines
Children’s Chorus
Molly Baker
Izzy Dawson
Júlia Guix-Estrada
Bori Gunyits
Lily McNeill
Tabitha Jane Smart
Sophie Whelan
Hear from Jake Heggie and Sister Helen Prejean
We were thrilled that Jake Heggie and Sister Helen Prejean recently took the time to dial in from North America to speak exclusively to the cast and creative team members behind this production.
This exciting hour-long event offered Guildhall students and staff the chance to ask questions directly to both speakers, providing an invaluable opportunity to learn more about the remarkable real-life experience of Sister Helen, and how her story formed the inspiration for Jake’s composition.
Click on the drop-down links below to watch clips from their conversation, and find out more on the News pages of our website.
“I just remember every hair on my body standing up – the shiver of possibility of what [this story] could be on the grand opera stage.”
In this clip, Jake discusses making the decision with librettist Terrence McNally to choose Dead Man Walking as the story of his opera.
“I always felt really close to Jake in spirit”
Sister Helen speaks about the importance of trusting the artists behind both the film and opera of Dead Man Walking, and Jake talks about what he thinks makes a good subject for an opera.
“That’s what we do in the Arts; we take people on journeys. The opera house, the concert hall – these are great places of reflection and meditation and community.”
Jake and Sister Helen talk about the power of the arts to offer audiences new perspectives and “access to their own soul”.
Venue information
Silk Street Theatre, Music Hall and Lecture Recital Room are located in the main Guildhall School building on Silk Street and for Barbican produced events the venue can also be accessed from the Barbican if you exit via the doors next to Barbican Kitchen on Level G.
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Silk Street
Barbican
EC2Y 8DT
