The Monstrous Child to debut as opera at ROH

Author Francesca Simon and British composer Gavin Higgins are to debut their opera The Monstrous Child at The Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre in February. 

The text has been adapted by Horrid Henry creator Simon from her YA novel The Monstrous Child with the production marking Higgins’ first opera. 

Artistic director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Timothy Sheader makes his Royal Opera debut directing The Monstrous Child, with Paul Wills designing for the first time for The Royal Opera. Conducting honours are shared between Australian-British conductor Jessica Cottis and British conductor Mark Austin. The cast is led by British-Spanish soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons making her Royal Opera debut in the title role of Hel.

The Monstrous Child was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award 2016 and shortlisted for The Bookseller's YA Book Prize in 2017. 

The ROH said: “Puppetry and designs inspired by Norse landscape contribute to this theatrical exploration of an adolescent girl’s attempts to find her place in the world. Hel is the daughter of the Norse god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. She’d be an ordinary teenager if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s half girl and half corpse. A prophecy predicts that Hel’s brothers are fated to bring forth the end of days, and in an attempt to prevent this the gods kidnap all three of Loki’s monstrous children and take them to Asgard. Here, Hel becomes infatuated with Baldr, son of Odin (the king of the gods). Odin banishes her to Niflheim to rule over the dead for eternity, where she continues to dream of Baldr. When Baldr unexpectedly appears in Nifelheim, Hel is forced to face up to reality and her fate.

The Monstrous Child opens at the Royal Opera House on Thursday 21st February 2019.