In a scandalous new queer opera, Conor Mitchell & The Belfast Ensemble delve into the seedy underbelly of Victorian London…

Dublin Jack - Jack Saul - is one of Ireland’s most infamous erotic exports.  He ran a roaring trade as a rent boy working in Victorian London - exploiting his sexual currency, and cashing in on aristocratic desire.A self described ‘professional Mary Ann’, Jack’s commitment to his work and exuberant lack of discretion eventually led to his arrest. 

His outrageous trial sparked a moral panic that swept across the British Empire - bringing about a new wave of homophobic attitudes and brutal anti-sodomy laws -  still reverberating around the world today. 

With presentations in Dublin, London, and Belfast, this darkly comic work holds space to unpack the messy powerplays of agency, class, and colonialism tied up in queer Anglo-Irish identity.

Join us this autumn for an intimate, stripped back, and energetic concert experience, as The Belfast Ensemble presents the pure, musical content of a dynamic new opera - live on stage for the very first time.

All performances include an introduction to the piece by composer / director Conor Mitchell. 

Content Warnings:

Contains strong, sexually explicit language,and discussion of suicide.

Over 15s

Funded by Arts Council of Northern Ireland, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Belfast City Council, and The Vaughan Williams Foundation. 

Developed with support from Southbank Centre and Outburst Queer Arts Festival.