Inspiration, infatuation and desperation come to the Barbican as Internationaal Theater Amsterdam adapts Thomas Mann's 1912 novella Death in Venice for the stage.
Former Dutch poet laureate Ramsey Nasr re-works the text for the stage and auteur Ivo van Hove directs the production, punctuating the performances with a classical music performed by Britten Sinfonia. The score includes new music by American composer Nico Muhly alongside Strauss and Schoenberg.
Translated from German, the show will be performed in Dutch with English surtitles. It adds an autobiographical, meta-textual framework to the story of Death in Venice, highlighting the inner struggle of the artist and his creation, and incorporating the perspectives of Thomas Mann and his wife Katia.
The play follows Thomas Mann, a successful author tormented by writer's block and an inappropriate attraction to a young boy. Mann channels these urges by creating a fictional alter-ego, Gustav von Aschenbach, who is able to succumb to beauty and desire.
As infatuation and desire disrupts social expectation and dignity, theatre and music swirl together in what promises to be an invigorating and artful evening. The production has already impressed in the Netherlands where reviews described it as 'breathtaking', 'sensational and thought-provoking'.
Tickets for Death in Venice at the Barbican go on sale from Friday 1 November.
| What | Death in Venice, Barbican Theatre |
| Where | Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, E2CY 8DS | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Barbican (underground) |
| When |
16 Apr 20 – 19 Apr 20, 7:45 PM – 10:00 PM |
| Price | £16 - £60 |
| Website | Click here to book and for more information |
