Information for Blond Eckbert - Double Bill at Hackney Empire, Outer London (Opera or Operetta). Judith Weir's Blond Eckbert is a haunting tale of isolation and guilt, based on a supernatural short story by the Romantic author Ludwig Tieck and presented in a new co-production with Britten Pears Arts. Eckbert and Berthe live a life of quiet solitude in their forest home but an unexpected visit from an old friend sets in motion a series of revelations and mysteries. As dark secrets surface, Eckbert suspects his world is far stranger than it first appeared, and that the past is maybe best left buried. Blond Eckbert is presented alongside Do not take my story for a fairytale, an ambitious new commission exploring folklore from around the world. This exciting new staged work, performed on period instruments, features new librettos from writers including Amanda Wilkin, Glynn Maxwell, Hannah Khalil and Chinonyerem Odimba. Performed in English with English surtitles.