Benjamin Britten: Billy Budd

The premiere of Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd in Madrid is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Teatro Real's bicentennial celebrations. Its magnificent libretto, based on the novel of the same name by Herman Melville, tells the story of the sailor Billy Budd: a handsome, loyal, generous, strong, naive, and kind young man whose beauty and personality drive the ship's master-at-arms mad. Unable to control the situation, the master crucifies the naive young man without mercy. This new production by the Teatro Real is being presented for the first time in Madrid, in co-production with the Opéra national de Paris, under the direction of Deborah Warner, one of the great names in stage direction today.

Director: Jérémie Cuvillier

Cast

Jacques Imbrailo

Billy Budd

Toby Spence

Edward Fairfax Vere

Brindley Sherratt

John Claggart

T

Thomas Oliemans

Mr. Redburn

D

David Soar

Mr. Flint

T

Torben Jürgens

Lieutenant Ratcliffe

C

Christopher Gillett

Red Whiskers

I

Isaac Galán

Arthur Jones