The Rake’s Progress

When the mysterious Nick Shadow appears at his door, Tom Rakewell immediately abandons country life and his sweetheart Anne for the temptations of the city. But London’s glittering promise soon corrodes;  love, money and even sanity slip further and further from Tom’s grasp. Can true love save him, or will the Devil have the last laugh?

Hogarth’s paintings charting one man’s path from pleasure to ruin are the starting point for one of the most dazzlingly original works of the 20^th century, like a Mozart opera that has wandered into a musical hall of mirrors – at once elegant and anarchic. Comedy and tragedy are never far apart in this light-footed work that can break your heart with the broadest of smiles.

John Cox’s production is one of the great Glyndebourne classics, featuring David Hockney’s much-loved designs alongside an exciting cast including Topi Lehtipuu, Matthew Rose and Miah Persson.