Anna Nicole (complete opera recorded in 2011)

"The six camera operators get in close enough for us all to appreciate the visual brilliance of Richard Jones's direction and Miriam Buether's colourfully absurd sets. Better yet, the cameras offer extra chances for the Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek to warm and tenderise Anna Nicole's rollercoaster life...The camera's scrutiny also helps appreciation of Gerald Finley. Always an eloquent stage performer, he's unsettlingly plausible as Stern" The Times, 12th August 2011 ***

In a tragic-comic take on the extremes of celebrity culture, composer Mark Anthony Turnage, librettist Richard Thomas and director Richard Jones add Anna Nicole Smith to opera's gallery of bad, sad girls. A pneumatic Playboy model who married an octogenarian billionaire, she achieved grotesque fame before her destitute, drugriddled death. With its jazz-coloured score and Eva-Maria Westbroek's starry performance, this is, as the New York Times said: "an engrossing outrageous, entertaining and, ultimately deeply moving opera".

"...It's a tremendous show...shocking it isn't; stunning it is!" The Independent

Contains very strong language and scenes of a sexual nature

Extra features:

Cast gallery

Illustrated synopsis

Behind the scenes feature including artist interviews

Running time 120 mins approx

Region Code All regions

Picture format 16:9 Anamorphic

Sound format 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS