Irish composer John O’Brien’s new opera “The Nightingale and the Rose,” will be making its world premiere at The Everyman Theatre on Saturday, October 13, 2018. After its run concludes on October 20, the work will go on a national tour to bring itself to audiences across Ireland.

The opera is adapted from Oscar Wilde’s story of the same name, with O’Brien as the composer and the libretto being written by O’Brien and Eadaoin O’Donoghue. The work will feature Kim Sheehand, Majella Cullagh, and Owen Gilhooly.

“The story asks questions about the nature of love and art – Is art worth anything? I want the audience to care, to bring them in, and to share a beautiful experience,” O’Brien said of the work. “The characters lend themselves to a wild, inventive theatrical production and the story is so perfectly metaphoric for the experience of being an artist, and exploring how we feel about art in Ireland today.”

Past projects of the artistic team include Gounoud’s “Faust,” Marschner’s “Der Vampyr,” and Leoncavallo’s “Paglicacci.” Following its run at The Everyman Theatre, “The Nightingale and the Rose” will travel from the city of Cork, to the Civic Theatre in Tallaght, and finally the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick, Ireland.