National Opera, Peter Grimes
Showtimes
Thursday ~ Friday (18:30), Saturday ~ Sunday (15:00)
Cast
Kim Jae-seok, Moon Su-jin, Yang Jun-mo, Lee Dong-hwan, Im Eun-kyung, Kim Hyo-na, Lee Hye-ji, etc.
Creative Team
Julien Chabat, Alexander Joel, Amber van den Hoek, etc.
Synopsis
[Performance Introduction] Is He a Murderer, or a Victim Driven into a Human Hunt? The Death of a Boy in a Remote Village: A Masterpiece of Thriller Opera The Korean National Opera presents Benjamin Britten's opera *Peter Grimes* as the second production of its 2026 regular series. Composed of three acts, this work was inspired by George Crabbe's poetry collection *The Borough* and has established itself as a representative masterpiece of modern English opera since its premiere in the UK in 1945. The death of a boy in a remote fishing village, along with the ceaseless suspicions surrounding him, depicts the issues of human alienation and the process by which he becomes entangled in a human hunt, ultimately being driven to his death. British pianist and conductor Alexander Joel conducts the performance, bringing to life Britten's signature tension-filled landscapes of the rough sea and a chilling sense of suspense. Directed by Julien Chabazz, who garnered attention for his restrained aesthetics and delicacy in the 2024 production *Death City*, the production brings to life a tense stage portraying a closed community and the crumbling human condition within it. [Synopsis] “People will frame me. Every testimony I give from now on is true.” In a remote fishing village, fisherman Peter Grimes stands trial regarding the death of a young apprentice, but is released without clear evidence. Despite the judge’s recommendation not to hire the boy, he takes on a new apprentice driven by a tenacious obsession to one day be accepted by the villagers. One stormy night, the boy falls to his death from a cliff, and this incident triggers the villagers to track Peter down. Ellen and Captain Walstrode discover Peter, but amidst isolation, guilt, and the hostility of the group, his sanity rapidly collapses. Unable to distinguish who he is or what he has done wrong, he chooses to end his life as if becoming one with the sea.
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