Sex, drugs and Anna Nicole
Anna Nicole, the most talked about opera in decades, comes to the end of its short run at the Royal Opera House tonight.
The controversial production has garnered rave reviews and tickets sold out weeks before opening night, sparking rumours that it will receive further runs at opera houses around the world.
With music by Mark-Anthony Turnage and a libretto by Richard Thomas, Anna Nicole charts the tempestuous life of the former Playboy model, who hit the headlines in 1994 when she married 89-year-old oil tycoon J Howard Marshall. After a long and acrimonious battle over the multi-millionaire's fortune, Anna Nicole died of a drug overdose in 2007, aged 39.
Classic FM’s Bob Jones spoke to librettist Richard Thomas and bass baritone Gerald Finley to explore some of the challenges posed by the production and look back at its success.
