Jane and Louise Wilson
design set for ROH
groundbreaking
partnership
30th April; 3rd- 4th May; Photocall: 28thApril, 6pm
On tour 10th May – 21st July

An innovative new video installation by renowned visual artists Jane and Louise Wilson is to form the
setting for the Royal Opera House’s first co-production with Music Theatre Wales, in a groundbreaking new
collaboration between opera and the visual arts.
The Royal Opera House commissioned the Wilson sisters - in close consultation with the Lisson Gallery –
to work with Music Theatre Wales for the forthcoming production of Michael Tippett’s The Knot Garden, to
be performed in the Linbury at the Royal Opera House as part of the ROH2 programme.
The commissioning of Jane and Louise Wilson aims to be the first of a series of ROH2 commissions from
visual artists working with live arts, under the title Performing Art and is a radical and bold new departure for
the Royal Opera House.
Aiming to encourage a creative alliance between the visual and performing arts, ROH2 will combine the
talents of composers, singers, choreographers, dancers and musicians with some of the most innovative
visual artists working today.

Address: Royal Opera House
Covent Garden,
London, WC2E 9DD
Tube:Covent Garden Times:7.45pm
Dates:30th April; 3rd, 4th May
Box Office:020 7304 4000
Tour Dates:10th May – 21st July
www.musictheatrewales.org.uk
Prices: £25/£20/£6 (standing)
£15 Royal Opera House Access List/ Students

The Knot Garden
The Knot Garden explores the emotional and psychological world of seven characters as they grapple with
their deepest doubts and desires. Under the direction of the Prospero-like psychiatrist Mangus, each
character is forced, during the course of the opera, to discover more about themselves through their
relationship with others.
“Jane and Louise Wilson are known for their compelling exploration of space and the power of the
unconscious mind” comments Michael McCarthy, the opera’s director. “Together they have created a body
of work which probes collective anxieties and phobias. It was these qualities which convinced me that the
duo are the ideal creative partners for this project.”
“The Knot Garden is an opera which speaks clearly to contemporary audiences”, comments Nicholas
Logsdail, director of the Lisson Gallery. “It’s a fable for modern times, placing the individual in a wider,
social context, which is why the Wilson sisters are perfect collaborative partners. The message of their work
seeks to explore modern day fears, while the delivery ensures its place in the 21st century.”
Deborah Bull, Creative Director of ROH2 said “Through this series, the Royal Opera House hopes to
encourage a creative symbiosis between the visual and performing arts by combining the talents of
composers, singers, choreographers, dancers and musicians with some of the most innovative visual artists
working today. Our aim is to create a unique and exciting series of collaborative performances and
installations exploiting the resources of the Royal Opera House which could not and would not happen
elsewhere.”
The Knot Garden will be a major feature of the Tippett centenary year at the Royal Opera House. Originally
created for the main stage in 1970, it returns to Covent Garden in its later chamber version. The musical
score was later re-orchestrated for 22 players, helping to intensify the focus on the emotional and
psychological world of the small cast. In this form it is Tippett’s only chamber opera.