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This page is a non-commercial research entry within the Operatic LGBTQIA+ Catalogue. It does not claim authorship, ownership, or rights over the works discussed. 

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Rhondda Rips It Up!

English

Synopsis

The story opens in the present day with the portrait of Lady Rhondda being hung in the House of Lords, posthumously granting her the seat she was denied in life. The narrative then flashes back to 1908, following the charismatic suffragette Margaret Haig Thomas, Viscountess Rhondda. She leads the women of Newport in their fight for the vote by organizing rallies, attacking politicians, and setting fire to a postbox, for which she is sent to jail. The opera also covers her survival of the sinking of the Lusitania, her divorce from her husband, her new relationship with journalist Helen Archdale, and her founding of the feminist magazine Time and Tide.

Composer

Elena Langer

Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright

Emma Jenkins

Year of composition/publication / premiere

2018

Genre

Other:

LGBTQAI+ category

Lesbian, Queer

Level of centrality

Main character

Characters

Lady Rhondda (Margaret Haig Thomas), Helen Archdale

Voice type

Mezzo-Soprano

Pronouns

she/her

Publisher / Rights holder

Not Found

Where to buy / access the work

Not Found

Performance rights

For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.

Official website

Audio recording(s)

Video performance(s)

Keywords

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