Nederlandse Reisopera - Elena Langer’s To Die For 2026

Anything for the Ratings!

Wat een feest it was to join Nederlandse Reisopera for the world premiere of To Die For [A Comedy], a new opera by Elena Langer, with a libretto by Arkady Zastyrets (translated by Maggie Gottlieb) based on Nikolai Erdman’s The Suicide.

Ivan Vane, an appallingly narcissistic television presenter determined to turn one man’s impending suicide into the ratings event of the year, was enormous fun to play: musically demanding, shamelessly theatrical and increasingly unhinged, with plenty of opportunities to break the fourth wall and recruit the audience into Ivan’s relentless pursuit of attention. Alles voor de kijkcijfers!

There is something particularly exciting about creating a role from scratch, and after months working and touring together it was hard to say goodbye to Ivan and this wonderful company. Dank jullie wel to everyone at Reisopera, the cast and creative team, and to the audiences across the Netherlands who joined us for the ride.

Happily, like all good television, there are repeats: To Die For returns later this year. In the meantime, I was delighted that the production, and Ivan’s particular brand of monstrous charm, received such a warm response:

“This is a star turn from James Hall, who not only sings and acts superbly, but also, like a true rabble-rouser, urges us to applaud more loudly when a stagehand holds up the ‘applause’ sign.” - Theaterkrant

“James Hall was perfect as the TV presenter who will stop at nothing for ratings and fame — an über-narcissist.” - Place de l’Opera

“Countertenor James Hall, by now a regular guest on Dutch stages, shows just how peerless an all-round performer he is.” - Brabant Cultureel

“Taking the crown is TV presenter Ivan Vane, strongly acted by countertenor James Hall.” - de Volkskrant

All quotations translated from the original Dutch.