The Knife of Dawn tells the compelling story of the Guyanese political activist and poet Martin Carter, who was imprisoned without charge for his fight for his country’s autonomy. Set in his prison cell, The Knife of Dawn focuses on the 28th – and most critical – day of his hunger strike, a protest against British rule. This operatic monologue by composer Hannah Kendall and librettist Tessa McWatt, both of Guyanese-Caribbean heritage, brings Carter’s inner struggle to life.

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This production is part of the Opera Forward Festival, an annual festival for new contemporary opera productions that explores the future of opera and presents opera as a relevant and forward-thinking artform to a wide audience.

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