Factory International

Angel's Bone

A pair of white angel wings displayed against a dark, black background. The lower parts of the wings are stained with vivid red, resembling blood splatter. A pair of white angel wings displayed against a dark, black background. The lower parts of the wings are stained with vivid red, resembling blood splatter.
Date
Coming May 2026
Venue
Aviva Studios, Manchester

A new production for English National Opera in Greater Manchester, Angel’s Bone is the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera-theatre work by composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek.

Angel’s Bone tells the haunting story of two fallen angels, drawn back to earth by a longing for its pleasures. When a struggling couple, Mr and Mrs X.E., discover the injured angels, they take them in with promises of care and protection. But as desperation sets in, compassion gives way to control - and the couple begin to exploit the angels for personal gain.

What unfolds is a powerful allegory exploring themes of exploitation, power, and the human cost of survival.

This collaboration between ENO, Factory International and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra will be presented at Aviva Studios, Manchester in Spring 2026, with tickets on sale from Autumn 2025.

Staging and score

In this moving and evocative work, Royce Vavrek’s gripping libretto delves deep into the harrowing realities of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

The bold fusion of musical styles brings together chamber music, theatre, punk rock, opera, cabaret, and electronics—to deliver an experience that’s as powerful as it is unforgettable.

Singers and Creatives

Directing this modern masterpiece is writer and director of opera, theatre and screen, Kip Williams, making his ENO and UK opera debut. Williams’ operatic and theatre work has garnered him international and critical acclaim, with his recent production of The Picture of Dorian Gray (2024), starring Sarah Snook (Succession), having a sold-out West End run and then transferred to Broadway (March 2025).  

Marg Horwell joins Williams as the Designer of Angel’s Bone. They reunite after working together on Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Gray, for which Horwell received an Olivier Award for Best Costume Designer (2024).

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