Dive into the complexities of the crows’ roles within their world

As the Crows Fly was initially created as a 15-minute scene for the Royal Academy of Music’s Opera Makers programme, now expanded into a full-length opera with chamber accompaniment. In this new version, we dive into the complexities of the crows’ roles within their world. Crows tells the tale of three birds as they circle a fresh battlefield deciding who to eat. They are Préachán, Feannag, and Brân; creatures that blur the beastly and the human. Through a darkly humorous lens, the piece examines the ugly but necessary roles that scavenger animals play in the decomposition process. One crow in particular is forced to come to terms with this when they meet one of the dead soldiers they are obligated to feast on.

Combining the literary worlds of Shakespeare and Ted Hughes with the sounds of Stravinsky, Weill and Britten, Crows promises to offer a funny, surreal and poignant evening at the opera.

Written and directed by early-career creatives Ben Hoppe and Edie Bailey premiering at the Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival in October 2025. Created by and for queer, Trans and non-binary artists, this darkly humorous, folk-inspired project explores gender fluidity within nature, war, and mythology and urgently addresses the lack of gender diversity in opera.