Grimeborn is an annual East London musical theatre and opera festival which coincides with the world famous East Sussex Glyndebourne Opera Festival. Founded by Arcola Theatre's artistic director Mehmet Ergen in 2007, the festival is held at Arcola Theatre in Dalston, East London. It takes place in and around August, and tends to showcase new and experimental works alongside radical productions of classic opera, using both the Arcola's performing stages.

History

The festival's name is a punning reference to Glyndebourne. The "grime" element refers to the "dirtier" backdrop of the Arcola Theatre, a converted textile factory in the congested bustle of Hackney as opposed to the scenic gardens of East Sussex. Originally, Grimeborn was devised as a contemporary contribution to the Battersea Arts Centre's (BAC) Opera Festival. The BAC Opera Festival's Artistic Director at the time, Tom Morris, asked Ergen, who was working at the BAC as an Associate Producer, to create something different from normal operatic preconceptions in a manner similar to Tête à Tête, who were also taking the stage at the BAC Opera Festival that year. Grimeborn became an opera and musical theatre festival in its own right, with the Arcola Theatre its exclusive host.

Past performances

2019

2018

List not complete: awaiting further additions

2017

List not complete: awaiting further additions

2015

List not complete: awaiting further additions

2014

List not complete: awaiting further additions

2012

Curated by Mehmet Ergen and produced by Leyla Nazli (21 August - 8 September)

2011

2010

Curated by Andrew Steggall and produced by Leyla Nazli (9 August – 21 September)

2009

Curated by Alex Sutton and produced by Leyla Nazli (24 August – 5 September)

2008

Curated by Daniele Guerra and produced by Michael Harris and Leyla Nazli (4–23 August)

2007

Curated by Andrew Steggall and produced by Michael Harris and Leyla Nazli (19 August- 2 September)

Sources