Rough for Opera #20 – ADAPTATION
3.30 pm and 7.30 pm, 4th December 2025
Chelsea Theatre, 7 World’s End Place, Chelsea, London, SW10 ODR
Box Office Tickets £10 full price and £8 concession
Chelsea Theatre is fully accessible
relaxed and captioned performances
A work in progress sharing of three new 9 minute operas commissioned by Second Movement, each adapted from a single source, Note 615 on “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, English translation by Eirill Alvilde Falck. Note 615 (1892) is Munch’s first articulation, in text, of the image which would become the paintings, drawings and lithographs of The Scream, one of the world’s most recognised motifs. The operas explore themes of alienation, anxiety, displacement, grief and loss, written for a shared cast of baritone, mezzo, soprano, bassoon, cello and violin.
Exposure
Nicola Warner text
Zhenyan Li music
Another Day
Sarah Forbes text
Elif Karlıdağ music
Maelstrom
Romanne Walker text
Vinicius Motta music
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Adapted from Notes on “The Scream” by Edvard Munch
English translation of Note 615 on “The Scream” by Edvard Munch by Eirill Alvilde Falck
Elif Karlıdağ in rehearsal for Rough for Opera #20 (credit Craig Fuller)
rough for opera is Second Movement’s performance and development platform for new opera and opera in progress.
The first Rough for Opera was in 2011. Each edition is programmed from an open call and every piece is performed for the first time. It is a supportive environment for composers and collaborators to try new ideas, stretch their practice and take creative risks. Composers are encouraged to stage their work and have an opportunity to discuss their performance with the audience. More than 50 composers and opera makers have presented work at Rough for Opera. Recent editions have concentrated on specific aspects of opera making: edition #18 – RELAXED explored relaxed and accessible stagings, #19 – TEXT libretto development and #20 – ADAPTATION use of source material from other art forms. #20 is the first in the series with all work commissioned directly by Second Movement. From 2022 Rough for Opera has focused on supporting disabled composers and librettists. Second Movement uses an inclusive definition of disability based on the social model.
rough for opera has its own website with information about all past performances, creatives and casts.
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rough for opera composers:
Kim B Ashton, Ed Baxter, Oded Ben-Tal, Michael Betteridge, Georgina Bowden, Santa Buss, Alexander Campkin, Timothy Cape, James Cave, Mike Christie, Anna Clock, Lloyd Coleman, Adam Dixon, Leo Geyer, Alex Groves, Edward Henderson, Jonathan Higgins, Alex Ho, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, Leo Hurley, Danyal Dhondy, Fraz Ireland, Catherine Kontz, Benjamin Lunn, Peter Longworth, William Marsey, David Merriman, Alex Mills, Michael-Jon Mizra, Helen Noir, Alex Paxton, Phil Poppy, Tom Randle, Ed Scoldng, Simone Spagnolo, Josh Spear, Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour, Benjamin Tassie, Martin Ward, Jenni Watson, Kate Whitley, Caroline Wilkins, Jonathan Woolgar.
more information at www.roughforopera.com
