A world premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith, this new opera by the British composer Philip Venables is an important adaptation of a radical and much-discussed 20th-century play by British playwright Sarah Kane, who took her own life in 1999 at the age of 28.

Kane felt that 4.48 in the morning was a time of great clarity, when one’s mind could realize its darkest thoughts. 4.48 Psychosis is the first time any of Kane’s work has been adapted and partnered with Venables’s strong musical language and visceral sense of theatre, it is certain to generate intense interest.

Born in Chester in 1979, Venables is a former pupil of David Sawer and Philip Cashian; his works have been performed by many of the leading ensembles in the UK and elsewhere. He is the first Doctoral Composer in Residence in a joint programme run by The Royal Opera and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and 4.48 Psychosis is the culmination of this residency.

Contains themes of an adult nature.

Learn more about London operas within the West End.