The world premiere of composer George Benjamin and librettist Martin Crimp’s opera Lessons in Love and Violence opened at London’s Royal Opera House May 10. The production, directed by Katie Mitchell, runs through May 26.

In the opera, a king is forced to choose between love and political expediency, with his decisions allowing his country to slide into civil war and his family to turn against him. The cast includes Ocean Barrington-Cook, Samuel Boden, Stéphane Degout, Barbara Hannigan, Peter Hoare, and Gyula Orendt.

Flip through photos of the production below:

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First Look at the World Premiere of George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence

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Benjamin and Crimp’s previous collaborations include the chamber opera Into the Little Hill and the large-scale work Written on Skin.

For more on the Lessons in Love and Violence, visit ROH.org.uk.