The Royal Opera has announced the launch of Dark Nights, an innovative new performance series hosted at the Linbury Theatre this autumn. Designed to showcase one-off performances by today’s most forward-thinking vocal innovators and experimental composers, the initiative celebrates new music while exploring the distinct theatrical possibilities of the human voice.
Occupying select evenings when the Linbury Theatre stage would otherwise be dark, the series serves as a creative platform for artistic exploration, offering boundary-pushing artists the rare opportunity to present highly intimate work. Five standalone performances will take place across the upcoming season, each completely led by a different contemporary visionary.
Opening the inaugural series are composer, singer, and actor Keeley Forsyth, and vocalist, movement artist, and composer Elaine Mitchener. On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Forsyth will premiere HAND TO MOUTH TO. Conceived as an emotionally charged live experience, the hybrid performance expands upon Hand to Mouth, her 2025 collaborative EP with pianist Matthew Bourne. The staged production will transform the original record into a multi-layered environment using bespoke architectural projections alongside a text dialogue contributed by French writer Jean-Baptiste Del Amo.
Following this, Elaine Mitchener will present LATE JOYS on Monday, November 9, 2026. Renowned for a contemporary practice that spans improvisation and dance, Mitchener has curated an "alt-variety evening" featuring an ensemble of performers across voice, instrumentation, and movement. The evening is structured as a fluid sequence of playful encounters, artistic interventions, and performance happenings designed for curious audiences.
The announcement follows a string of critically acclaimed independent releases for both lead artists, including Forsyth's text-driven studio album The Hollow and Mitchener's uncompromising solo vocal album SOLO THROAT. Both creatives set a distinct tone for a seasonal programme dedicated to imaginative music entirely outside the mainstream.
Tickets for the upcoming Dark Nights series start from £5 and officially go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, via the Royal Opera House website.
