English National Opera will welcome the UK premiere of Elena Langer’s To Die For to the London Coliseum on 29 November 2026, presented by Nederlandse Reisopera in collaboration with the Phion Orchestra.
The darkly comic opera, featuring a libretto by Arkady Zastyrets, follows its acclaimed world premiere during a Dutch national tour earlier this year. Based on Nikolai Erdman’s 1928 play The Suicide, the work examines celebrity culture, materialism and society’s fascination with fame.
To Die For has a particularly remarkable history. Erdman’s original play was banned before its first performance in Soviet Russia, while Langer’s opera, originally commissioned by Moscow’s Stanislavsky Theatre, was cancelled following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Relocated from the 1920s to post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s, the story follows the desperate Semyon Podsekayev, whose planned suicide becomes the centrepiece of a lurid reality television spectacle. Through sharp satire and dark humour, the opera explores exploitation, media sensationalism and the commercialisation of personal tragedy.
Langer’s score combines contemporary opera with elements of cabaret, folk music and music theatre, creating what promises to be an energetic and thought-provoking theatrical experience.
Composer Elena Langer said: “I am so delighted to finally see my comic opera To Die For staged in the UK, after it was commissioned and then cancelled in Russia in 2022. I wanted to make fun of celebrity, materialism, exploitation and the absurdity of human behaviour – themes which in today’s society, feel more pertinent than ever. But the opera also has a hopeful side, and may contain surprises! To see it performed on the London Coliseum stage will be one of the proudest moments of my career. I am immensely grateful to Annilese Miskimmon for making this happen, and to everyone at ENO and Reisopera for turning it into a reality.”
One of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary opera composers, Langer has built an international reputation through works including Figaro Gets a Divorce, Rhondda Rips It Up!, Ariadne and The Lion’s Face. Her recent revival of Four Sisters at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre received widespread critical acclaim.
Making his London Coliseum debut, conductor Adrian Kelly leads the production. Direction comes from Sam Brown, Artistic Director of Nederlandse Reisopera, with designs by Grace Smart.
The cast includes tenor Paul Curievici as Semyon Podsekayev, countertenor James Hall as television presenter Ivan Vane, alongside Idunnu Münch, Jenny Stafford and Richard Burkhard, all reprising their roles from the Dutch premiere.
To Die For will be performed at the London Coliseum on 29 November 2026, with tickets starting from £25. ENO’s ticket schemes also offer free tickets for under-21s and discounted tickets for those aged 21 to 35.
Listings and ticket information can be found herehere.
