The Belfast Ensemble: Dublin Jack
Conor Mitchell’s scandalous new queer opera, inspired by the life and writings of a notorious 19th-century Irish sex worker, makes its UK debut in concert.
Dublin Jack – Jack Saul – is one of Ireland’s most infamous erotic exports. He ran a roaring trade as a rent boy working in Victorian London, exploiting his sexual currency and cashing in on aristocratic desire.
His outrageous trial sparked a moral panic that swept across the British Empire, bringing about a new wave of homophobic attitudes and brutal anti-sodomy laws that still reverberate around the world today.
Join us for an intimate, stripped back and energetic concert experience, as The Belfast Ensemble presents the pure, musical content of a dynamic new opera live on stage for the very first time.
This darkly comic work holds space to unpack the messy powerplays of agency, class and colonialism tied up in queer Anglo-Irish identity.
All performances include an introduction to the piece by composer/director Conor Mitchell.
Performers
The Belfast Ensemble
Conor Mitchell conductor
Repertoire
Conor Mitchell: Dublin Jack - opera in 2 acts (concert performance) (UK premiere)
Need to know
Find out more about the music with our free programme.
View the programme
For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
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The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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