The Irish National Opera presents Thomas Adès classic modern opera which is both comic and dark. Co-produced with Northern Ireland Opera, it tells the story of notorious socialite Margaret Whigham's sensational 1963 divorce from the Duke of Argyll which was pure tabloid fodder. Headlines of her extravagances enthralled and titillated a gossip-hungry public in what was perhaps the world's first modern-day sex scandal.

In this darkly comedic and contemporary opera, Thomas Adès has written a powerful story of an aristocratic woman's fall from grace. Evoking an earlier nostalgic era of elegance, wit, decadence and jazz, Powder Her Face chronicles the exploits of the cruelly-named "Dirty Duchess" in a roller-coaster ride of celebrity fame to eventual downfall.

“I wrote the sounds of the eras into each scene - so that the pre-war scene would have a Palm Court acoustic, the sound of teatime at the Waldorf, say, with the noise of spoons quietly hitting a hundred teacups; and the Fifties scene the acoustic of a Paul Anka pop record, in a diner, with those pizzicati and congas and the pop of the needle on the '45' in a jukebox; and the Seventies scene would have a transistor-radio noise.” — Thomas Adès

The success of this work with audiences worldwide has firmly established Powder Her Face as a classic modern opera. Written by one of today’s most virtuosic composers, this Irish premiere production is directed and designed by 'one of the wittiest and most visually alert designer-directors around’ - (Opera Now) Antony McDonald (The Importance of Being Earnest), and with Timothy Redmond conducting, Powder Her Face stars soprano Mary Plazas, as the Duchess, alongside Adrian Dwyer, Stephen Richardson and Irish soprano Daire Halpin.

“this astonishing, precocious masterpiece” - THE NEW YORK TIMES
“★★★★★” - THE SUNDAY TIMES
“★★★★★” - THE TELEGRAPH

Sung in English with English surtitles this is suitable for ages 16+

Tickets range from €30 - €27 and can be purchased directly from www.siamsatire.com or by calling the Box Office on 066 7123055