Young Tom Rakewell’s quiet life with his sweetheart Anne is turned upside down when the mysterious Nick Shadow comes to his door with whispers of wealth and luxury. But Tom soon finds out that the Devil finds work for idle hands, and that the promises of London life aren’t what they seem.

Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress is a cynical but sympathetic tale of a young man’s fall. ETO’s new production is helmed by Polly Graham, Artistic Director of Longborough Festival Opera, and the highly regarded conductor and composer Jack Sheen.

First performed at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, on 11 September 1951
Libretto by W.H. Auden & Chester Kallman