Ben and Imo

<p><b>Nominated for Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre at the Olivier Awards 2026</b><br><br>The 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is fast approaching. To mark the occasion, Benjamin Britten has just nine months to write a new opera about her predecessor Elizabeth I.<br><br>Into the world of the disheartened composer enters the exuberant and passionate Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav and an accomplished musician in her own right. Her candid and can-do attitude proves to be the perfect foil for the capricious and often maddening Britten, and what begins as an arrangement of practical support turns into a bond that not only sees Gloriana to its premiere but endures throughout the rest of their lives.<br><br>This edition is published to coincide with the world premiere at the Swan Theatre, Stratford, in February 2024.</p>