Philip Venables

Answer Machine Tape, 1987 at Transit Festival

16 September 2024

Answer Machine Tape, 1987, for piano and multimedia, will be performed on 18th October at the Transit Festival in Leuven, Belgium. It will be performed by Zubin Kanga, who commissioned the piece, at STUK in a late-night concert. More information…

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Residency at the Bogliasco Foundation

15 September 2024

I’m delighted to have been awarded a residency at the Bogliasco Foundation near Genoa, Italy for one month in March/April 2025. I’ll be there to work on ideas for new pieces, doing some research and sketching out new material. More…

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4.48 Psychosis announced at Staatstheater Mainz

21 April 2024

Staatstheater Mainz has just announced a new production of 4.48 Psychosis in the 2024/25 season. The production will be directed by Rahel Thiel and conducted by Samuel Hogarth. The premiere will be on 26th April 2025 in the small house….

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Faggots and their Friends announced at the Ruhrtriennale

15 April 2024

The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions has just been announced in this year’s Ruhrtriennale in Bochum, Germany. Four performances will take place from 17th—20th August 2024 in the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum. It’s an exciting festival programme, covering theatre, music, dance…

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New opera announced: We Are The Lucky Ones

20 March 2024

I’m delighted to announce our next opera, We Are The Lucky Ones. The opera is commissioned by Dutch National Opera, and it will premiere at the Opera Forward Festival in Amsterdam on 14th March 2025. I am writing it with…

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Residency at MacDowell

28 February 2024

I’m incredibly lucky to have been awarded a 4-week residency at MacDowell Artists Colony in New Hampshire, USA, where I am currently through to 14th March. The Irving Fine Studio, where I live and work, is in the picture. It’s…

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Faggots and their Friends announced at Holland Festival

28 February 2024

The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions has just been announced in this year’s Holland Festival in Amsterdam. The performances will take place on 13th and 14th June 2024 in the Muziekgebouw. It’s a wonderful festival to be part of,…

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Great reviews for FATFBR at the Southbank Centre

2 February 2024

The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions completed its four-night run at the Southbank Centre last week to packed, lively audiences. Here is a selection of the reviews, all very positive. “a stripped-back, intensely emotional production […] an intelligent and…

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Illusions at Into The Open Festival, Berlin.

16 January 2024

The International Ensemble Modern Academy are reprising their wonderful performance of Illusions at the Into The Open Festival in Berlin. They performed the piece for the first time at Time Of Music Festival in Viitasaari, Finland, in July 2022. On…

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Residency at Yaddo

30 October 2023

I’ve been awarded a 5-week residency at the Corporation of Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, NY, which I’m undertaking through October and November. My studio is in the picture. It’s a beautiful time to be here — the trees in Fall…

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Answer Machine Tape, 1987 shortlisted for Ivors Award

18 October 2023

Answer Machine Tape, 1987 has been shortlisted for the Small Chamber Composition category of the 2023 Ivors Classical Awards. The awards ceremony will take place at the British Film Institute on the South Bank in London on 14th November 2023….

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Denis & Katya announced at Theater Erfurt

22 August 2023

Theater Erfurt has announced its new production of Denis & Katya in the coming 23/24 season, The production of the german-language translation by Robert Lehmeier will be directed by Markus Weckesser, and will take place in the round in the…

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4.48 Psychose announced at the Bayerische Theater-Akademie München

17 August 2023

The Bayerische Theaterakademie in Munich has announced a new production this coming autumn of the opera 4.48 Psychose (the german-language version of 4.48 Psychosis, in the translation of the Sarah Kane by Durs Grünbein). The production, directed by Balázs Kovalik…

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Faggots and their Friends announced at Southbank Centre

17 August 2023

Dates for The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions have been announced at London’s Southbank Centre, playing four shows in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 25—28th January 2024. This music theatre show, made in collaboration with Ted Huffman, is based…

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Danish premiere of Denis & Katya in Aalborg and Copenhagen.

8 August 2023

Denis & Katya will have its Danish premier on Thursday 17th August (schools performance) and Friday 18th August 2023 (public performance) as part of the Aalborg Opera Festival. This is a brand new production by Kind Of Opera, created by director…

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Press images of The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions by Tristram Kenton.

5 July 2023

Some production images from the Manchester International Festival production of The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions, June 2023 (based on the book by Larry Mitchell and Ned Asta 1977). Cast: Kerry Bursey, Jacob Garside, Katherine Goforth, Kit Green, Conor…

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Press coverage of Faggots and their Friends at Manchester International Festival

4 July 2023

‘The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions‘ received its world premiere on 29th June 2023 at HOME Theatre as part of Manchester International Festival. There were some notable previews in The Guardian and the New York Times and an introductory…

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Composing for Stage workshop at Camp FR

20 June 2023

I’ll be spending a week at the gorgeous CAMP FR in the Pyrenées from August 2nd–7th running a workshop / masterclass on Composing for Stage. The immersive week will explore a range of approaches to musical storytelling, music theatre, opera,…

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Denis & Katya announced at Wiener Kammeroper

7 May 2023

On the same day as our wonderful premiere of Denis & Katya in Pittsburgh, Musiktheater an der Wein announced their new production of Denis & Katya to open their 2023/24 season at the Wiener Kammeroper. The production of the german-language translation by…

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Portrait photo by Paul Festa

9 April 2023

A new headshot by fellow artist and writer Paul Festa, taken in his yet-to-be-renovated loft in Berlin. This can be used for promotion with a credit to the photographer. High resolution is in the press pack, here.