To Die for [A Comedy]
London Coliseum, London.
![To Die for [A Comedy]](https://c.ststat.net/content/entimg/connected2tour/0ddb0b34-8461-4ad8-826a-3b55f714b13d.jpg "To Die for [A Comedy]")
Where we provide a seating plan for events, every effort is made to show you correct information. However, we are unable to guarantee the accuracy of our seating plans in case of short term or venue specific changes due to production requirements. Seating plans are generally provided as a guide only and are not an exact representation of the seating layout at the venue.
More information about To Die for [A Comedy] tickets
Important Information
Age Recommendation 15 and over (Under 5's will not be admitted)
Performance Dates 23 Nov 2026
Performance Times 7pm
Content Warning This opera contains themes of suicide, strong language and loud gun shots
Run time 2 hrs 30 mins (incl. 1 interval)
Venue London ColiseumAbout To Die For [A Comedy]
Will an obsession with fame be the death of us?
For one night only, ENO welcomes a Nederlandse Reisopera and Phion Symphony Orchestra guest production for the UK premiere of this exceptional new comic opera following the world premiere in The Netherlands in April 2026.
Overview
This exuberant and subversive black farce, by British Russian composer Elena Langer, mocks and questions our obsession with celebrity – and encourages us to embrace the highs and lows of our turbulent, gruesome, joyful and beautiful life.
Originally commissioned by the Stanislavski Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre in Moscow, this comic opera was cancelled after the invasion of Ukraine. The piece was deemed insufficiently patriotic.
The existential angst of Semyón Podsekayev drives him to suicide, but he hopes that playing the tuba will save him. A plan that fails miserably.
TV presenter Ivan Vane is one of several characters keen to use Semyón’s possible suicide for their own gain. In the second act, we see Vane’s reality show The Naked Truth, in which Semyón’s desire to commit suicide – and everyone’s desire to profit financially from it – becomes a public game.
Staging and score
A comic opera in two parts, by composer Elena Langer. Libretto by Arkady Zastyrets, translated into English by Maggie F. Gottlieb. Based on the play The Suicide (1928) by Nikolai Erdman.
Singers and creatives
Directing is Sam Brown, Artistic Director of the Nederlandse Reisopera, the Dutch national touring opera company and on the podium, English conductor Adrian Kelly, Artistic Director of the Buxton International Festival.
