Ellen McDougall has today announced her inaugural season as Artistic Director of Gate Theatre. The season concludes with a collaboration between the Gate Theatre and English National Opera, a cabaret show directed by McDougall entitled Effigies of Wickedness.

As the Nazis identified difference as something to be afraid of, the Weimar cabaret scene danced on with songs that celebrated it. With music from Brecht and Weill to Schoenberg, this subversive underground scene was bursting at the seams with brilliant, visionary artists. No surprise then, that they were censored, exiled, and incarcerated shortly after as ‘degenerates’. And their songs have been all but lost since.

Effigies of Wickedness brings back these riotous, witty, shockingly prophetic songs.

Ellen McDougall, talking about the collaboration, said:

‘Our second co-production of the season is with ENO, whose Artistic Director Daniel Kramer previously directed groundbreaking productions of Hair and Woyzeck for the Gate. Working together provides another challenge for us to reinvent our space – we will be presenting a cabaret style show of songs from the Weimar Republic’s subversive underground scene, with musicians drawn from ENO’s orchestra – including a piano – in our 75-seat theatre! The season will end with a defiant musical celebration of difference, diversity, and freedom of expression.’

Effigies of Wickedness will be performed from 3 May until 2 June 2018, with a press night on 14 May. Tickets will go on sale on 21 September 2017.

For more information about Gate Theatre’s new season, running form June 2017 to May 2018, please see: https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/blog/2017/05/season-1718-announcement 

ENO’s autumn and spring seasons of opera at our home, the London Coliseum, are supported by a summer season of outside work. During the summer months ENO collaborates with other artistic organisations and venues around London, working in partnership to bring our work to new and wider audiences and presenting opportunities to develop artists, present opera in fresh and interesting ways and work with venues which may not regularly produce opera.