Details

Britten's operas often focus on the way particular worlds deal with an outsider. The outsider in Billy Budd is a young man, press-ganged into naval service on the HMS Idomitable around 1797. His story is told in an opera-length flashback by the ship's captain, Edward Fairfax Vere, who is racked by guilt over Billy's fate. Billy's optimism, good-heartedness and trusting nature wins over all but the most venal of the downtrodden crew. He's keen for promotion, but his charisma and beauty cause the evil master-at-arms, John Claggart (who resembles Iago in Shakespeare's Othello), to plot his destruction. Billy's fatal flaw is that, under pressure, he suffers from a crippling stutter. When Claggart falsely accuses him of fomenting mutiny, in front of a sceptical Vere, Billy cannot find the words to defend himself and strikes Claggart dead. At the subsequent court-martial, Vere must follow the letter of the Articles of War and Billy is condemned to death. Typically, just before his execution, Billy cries out in praise of Vere. Now a very old man, Vere concludes that Billy's blessing has, in fact, saved him.

Creatives/Company

Author: Britten

Archive listings for Billy Budd

Work type: Opera or Operetta.

T01076966108

Sung in English with surtitlesProducer Royal Opera. Producer Teatro Real Madrid. Producer Opera di Roma. Conductor Ivor Bolton. Director Deborah Warner. Design Michael Levine. Costume Chloe Obolensky. Lighting Jean Kalman. Choreographer Kim Brandstrup.
23 Apr 19 to 10 May 19Royal Opera House, West End :: V377
listing details L01234980694

T531652961

Concert staging. Sung in English.Company Opera North. Company Nederlandse Reisopera. Conductor Garry Walker. Director Orpha Phelan. Director Matthew Eberhardt (assistant director). Design Leslie Travers. Costume Leslie Travers. Lighting Thomas C. Hase. Director Lynne Hockney (movement director). Performer Alan Oke (Captain Vere). Performer Roderick Williams (Billy Budd). Performer Brindley Sherratt (John Claggart). Performer Peter Savidge (Mr Redburn). Performer Dean Robinson (Mr Flint). Performer Callum Thorpe (Lieutenant Ratcliffe). Performer Daniel Norman (Red Whiskers). Performer Eddie Wade (Donald). Performer Conal Coad (Dansker). Performer Oliver Johnston (Novice). Performer Gavan Ring (The Novice's Friend).
24 Jun 17 to 25 Jun 17Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldeburgh :: V75
listing details L197731040

T543201775

New Production. Sung in English.Company Opera North. Company Nederlandse Reisopera. Conductor Garry Walker. Director Orpha Phelan. Design Leslie Travers. Costume Leslie Travers. Lighting Thomas C. Hase. Director Lynne Hockney (movement director). Performer Alan Oke (Captain Vere). Performer Roderick Williams (Billy Budd). Performer Alastair Miles (John Claggart). Performer Peter Savidge (Mr Redburn). Performer Adrian Clarke (Mr Flint). Performer Callum Thorpe (Lieutenant Ratcliffe). Performer Daniel Norman (Red Whiskers). Performer Eddie Wade (Donald). Performer Stephen Richardson (Dansker). Performer Oliver Johnston (Novice). Performer Gavan Ring (The Novice's Friend).
17 Nov 16Theatre Royal, Nottingham :: V462
listing details L0203105278
10 Nov 16The Lowry, Salford :: V0655996499
listing details L1591901219
3 Nov 16Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne :: V570
listing details L1907605227
18 Oct 16 to 29 Oct 16Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds :: V975
listing details L0722799514

T593903330

Revival Production, Sung in English with English supertitles.Producer Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Conductor Andrew Davis. Director Michael Grandage. Design Christopher Oram. Lighting Paule Constable. Performer Mark Padmore (Captain Vere). Performer Jacques Imbrailo (Billy Budd). Performer Brindley Sherratt (Claggart). Performer Stephen Gadd (Mr Redburn). Performer David Soar (Mr Flint). Performer Darren Jeffery (Lieutenant Ratcliffe). Performer Alasdair Elliott (Red Whiskers). Performer John Moore (Donald). Performer Jeremy White (Dansker). Performer Peter Gijsbertsen (The Novice). Performer Colin Judson (Squeak). Performer Richard Mosley-Evans (Bosun). Performer Dean Power (Maintop). Performer Duncan Rock (The Novice's Friend). Company London Philharmonic Orchestra. Company The Glyndebourne Chorus. Performer Michael Wallace. Performer Benjamin Cahn. Performer Brendan Collins. Performer Charlie Gill. Performer Sebastian Davies. Performer Tom Foreman. Performer William Gardner. Performer Quentin Zach-Martins. Performer Will Roberts. Performer Padraic Rowan.
10 Aug 13 to 25 Aug 13Glyndebourne, Lewes :: V671
listing details L01736392699

T1022086673

New ProductionProducer English National Opera. Conductor Edward Gardner. Director David Alden. Design Paul Steinberg. Costume Constance Hoffman. Lighting Adam Silverman. Performer Benedict Nelson (Billy Budd). Performer Toby Spence (Captain Vere). Performer Matthew Rose (Claggart). Performer Jonathan Summers (Mr Redburn). Performer Darren Jeffery (Mr Flint). Performer Henry Waddington (Lieutenant Ratcliffe). Performer Michael Colvin (Red Whiskers). Performer Duncan Rock (Donald). Performer Gwynne Howell (Dansker). Performer Nicky Spence (Novice). Performer Daniel Norman (Squeak). Performer Andrew Rupp (Bosun). Performer Marcus Farnsworth (The Novice's Friend). Performer Oliver Dunn (First Mate). Performer Gerard Collett (Second Mate). Performer Jonathan Stoughton (Maintop).
18 Jun 12 to 8 Jul 12London Coliseum, West End :: V376
listing details L0201701958

T0155600102

Sung in English with supertitlesProducer Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Company London Philharmonic Orchestra. Company Glyndebourne Chorus. Conductor Mark Elder. Director Michael Grandage. Design Christopher Oram. Lighting Paule Constable. Director Tom Roden (movement). Performer John Mark Ainsley (Captain Vere). Performer Jacques Imbrailo (Billy Budd). Performer Phillip Ens (Claggart). Performer Iain Paterson (Mr Redburn). Performer Matthew Rose (Mr Flint). Performer Darren Jeffery (Lieutenant Ratcliffe). Performer Alasdair Elliott (Red Whiskers). Performer John Moore (Donald). Performer Jeremy White (Dansker). Performer Ben Johnson (The Novice). Performer Colin Judson (Squeak). Performer Richard Mosley-Evans (Bosun).
20 May 10 to 27 Jun 10Glyndebourne, Lewes :: V671
listing details L0284211171

T1992441350

New Production. Running time 2 hours 50 minutes.Corporate Sponsor Sky. Corporate Sponsor Artsworld. Producer Welsh National Opera. Director Neil Armfield. Conductor Andrew Litton. Design Brian Thomson. Costume Carl Friedrich Oberle. Lighting Nigel Levings. Performer Simon Keenlyside (Billy Budd). Performer John Tomlinson (Claggart). Performer Timothy Robinson (Captain Vere). Performer Ashley Holland (Mr Redburn). Performer Pavlo Hunka (Mr Flint). Performer Brindley Sherratt (Lieutenant Ratcliffe). Performer Adrian Thompson (Red Whiskers). Performer Toby Stafford-Allen (Donald). Performer Gwynne Howell (Dansker). Performer James Edwards (Novice). Performer Richard Coxon (Squeak). Performer Nicholas Folwell (Bosun). Performer Andrew Rees (Maintop). Performer William Berger (The Novice's Friend).
3 Dec 05 to 17 Dec 05London Coliseum, West End :: V376
listing details L01506298311

T1290089925

[Francesca Zambello]'s production of Billy Budd returns. Sponsored (1995) by The Friends of Covent Garden with additional support from The Britten Estate Ltd.Company Royal Opera. Performer Simon Keenlyside (Billy Budd). Performer Kim Begley (Captain Vere). Performer Eric Halfvarson (Claggart). Performer Timothy robinson. Performer Graeme Broadbent. Performer Peter Auty. Performer Quentin Hayes. Performer Francis Egerton. Performer Richard Coxon. Performer Adrian Clarke. Performer Alan Opie. Performer Stephen Richardson. Performer Keel Watson. Performer John Connell. Design Alison Chitty. Lighting Alan John Burrett. Conductor Richard Hickox.
20 Sep 00 to 3 Oct 00Royal Opera House, West End :: V377
listing details L434424660

T0689027125

Company London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Richard Hickox. Performer Philip Langridge (Edward Fairfax Vere). Performer John Tomlinson (John Claggart). Performer Simon Keenlyside (Billy Budd). Performer Alan Opie (Mr Redburn). Performer Matthew Best (Mr Flint). Performer Alan Ewing (Lieutenant Radcliffe). Performer Francis Egerton (Red Whiskers). Performer Quentin Hayes (Donald). Performer Jeremy White (Dansker). Performer Mark Padmore (Novice). Performer Richard Coxon (Squeak). Company London Symphony Chorus.
25 Nov 99Barbican Centre, West End :: V371
listing details L01913290958

T817013097

New production, sung in English.Company Welsh National Opera. Conductor Andrew Litton. Conductor Gareth Jones. Design Brian Thomson. Performer Christopher Maltman.
15 Apr 98Grand Theatre, Swansea :: V831
listing details L01462643033
7 Apr 98Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol :: V856
listing details L02134099759
1 Apr 98Liverpool Empire Theatre, Liverpool :: V534
listing details L01337989698
19 Mar 98New Theatre, Oxford :: V802
listing details L01526226231
10 Mar 98 to 13 Mar 98Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham :: V145
listing details L1602803653
14 Feb 98 to 24 Feb 98New Theatre, Cardiff :: V823
listing details L01240909877

Other listings

1 Dec 16 to 3 Dec 16Festival Theatre, Edinburgh :: V600
listing details L61509625
CORONAVIRUS: All UK venues closed on 16th March 2020, restrictions were lifted on 19th July 2021. Please note that iUKTDb archive listings between March 2020 and July 2021 may not be accurate as we did not receive details of all rescheduled and cancelled shows.

Listings powered by Dynamic Listing Ltd
Mastodon X - Twitter Multidomain certificate installed
© Dynamic Listing Ltd, UK. 1995-2024