Denis & Katya
Music by Philip Venables
Written & directed by Ted Huffman
Two 15-year-olds in love who lived every moment, including their last, online.
Composer Philip Venables and director Ted Huffman − the duo behind the award-winning 4.48 Psychosis – examine the real-life tragedy of Russian runaways Denis Muravyov and Katya Vlasova. Dubbed a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, they broadcast their forbidden final days together on social media. And rightly or wrongly, the public clicked, watched and responded.
Splicing verbatim text, video, music and theatre, Denis & Katya explores how stories are shaped and shared in our age of trolls, conspiracy theories, fake news, and 24/7 digital connection.
What makes you click?
Co-commissioned and co-produced by Music Theatre Wales, Opera Philadelphia and Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier
UK performances in association with London Sinfonietta
Winner of the FEDORA – GENERALI Prize for Opera 2019
First performance: Festival O19, Opera Philadelphia , 18 Sep 2019
Alongside this production we ran a Young People’s Creative and Consultation Programme. You can see the impact this had by watching
https://vimeo.com/461879859
You can also hear the tracks they recorded at
https://soundcloud.com/user-696596153/albums
The Production
Composer Philip Venables and writer-director Ted Huffman discuss Denis & Katya ahead of its world premiere at Opera Philadelphia’s O19 Festival in September 2019.
Credits
Creative Team
Philip Venables Composer
Ted Huffman Writer & Director
Tim Anderson Music Director for UK
Ksenia Ravvina Co-creator and Dramaturge
Sount Intermedia Sound Designers
Cast & Performers
Emily Edmonds Mezzo-soprano
Johnny Herford Baritone
