Ophelia’s Wings

An opera by Sarah Nemtsov, libretto by Mirko Bonné.

By the end of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (1602), almost everyone is dead; including Hamlet’s beloved Ophelia, who is declared mad in the course of the play and ultimately drowns – the exact circumstances remain unclear. How might this story be continued and retold? This is the question composer Sarah Nemtsov and author Mirko Bonné have asked themselves. They place Ophelia at the centre of their latest opera, Ophelia’s Wings, which is having its world premiere in Bern, and explore various possibilities for how Ophelia’s story might have unfolded differently. ­

Sophie Kidwell makes her role debut as Ophelia IV with the Bern Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Clément Lonca.

Directed by Barbora Horáková. In German with German and English surtitles.

Premiere on 6th June 2027, followed by four further performances on 13th, 15th, 22nd and 27th June.