In the Belly of the Beast

A co-production from Hera, Mahogany Opera and Dunedin Consort
In the Belly of the Beast

Three cantatas by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729)
With a new English libretto by Toria Banks
Directed by Jennifer Fletcher

Carolyn Sampson soprano
Mariana Rodrigues soprano
Dunedin Consort

A brand-new show featuring three-hundred-year-old music, ‘In the Belly of the Beast’ combines the beauty and intimacy of the baroque cantata, with bold theatrical storytelling. Starring Carolyn Sampson and featuring musicians from leading baroque specialists Dunedin Consort, it retells three powerful myths about how we all survive the unfairness of life.

From Adam in the Garden of Eden, to Jonah at sea, to Jephthah returning from battle, three men make deals with God that don’t turn out well. Together, their stories, and the healing power of music, help us make sense of a world seemingly governed by arbitrary, unreasonable power.

★★★★★ “A revelation…a pulsing, vibrant slice of music drama.” The Times
“Quite unlike anything I’ve seen before. Catch it if you can.” The Arts Desk
(Praise for Out of Her Mouth, from the same team in 2023)

Main image: Jonah and the Whale, Pieter Lastman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons