The Way Back Home

Based on Oliver Jeffers's internationally acclaimed book for children, this is a brand-new opera for children aged five and upwards from ground-breaking director Katie Mitchell, emerging composer Joanna Lee and librettist Rory Mullarkey. Featuring design by Vicki Mortimer, with puppetry and animations that capture the charm of Jeffers's beautiful illustrations, this captivating cosmic tale of a young boy befriended by a Martian on the moon will be brought vividly to life on stage.
 
The Way Back Home traces the intergalactic journey of a boy who, on discovering an aeroplane in his cupboard, flies off towards the stars in search of adventure. Things go horribly wrong when he runs out of fuel and crash lands on the moon. Hungry, afraid and unsure how he will get home, the boy meets a friendly Martian who is also marooned on the moon. Together they devise a plan to help each other …

This world premiere is the sixth co-production between the Young Vic and ENO following Benedict Andrews' The Return of Ulysses, Diane Paulus' Lost Highway, Katie Mitchell's After Dido, Daniel Kramer's Punch and Judy, and Fiona Shaw's Elegy for Young Lovers. It is ENO's first opera for children, created as an introduction to the art-form for five to eight-year-olds. The opera will be broadcast to cinemas across the UK as part of a three-season programme of operatic works by major composers and directors for families.