A chilling modern tragedy centered on a solitary, tormented man crushed beneath the fears, hypocrisy, and judgment of a seaside fishing community. In Mariusz Treliński’s production, the fishing village, the pier, and the sea take center stage. As rumors and suspicion intensify, Grimes’s vulnerability is laid bare with devastating force.
A co-production between Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera and The Israeli Opera
The plot takes place in a fishing town in northeast England, around 1830.
Prologue – The Council Hall
An inquest is held into the circumstances of the death of William, who was Peter Grimes’ apprentice. The circumstances are unclear but it is suspected that Grimes caused the boy’s death. Finally, the coroner, lawyer Swallow, advises Grimes not to take on another boy as his apprentice. Grimes resents the offer and the verdict stating that the boy died in an accident, which leaves room for doubt. As the hall clears, Ellen Orford, the town schoolmistress whom Grimes wants to marry, offers her support to Grimes while he becomes angry at the townspeople who do not believe in his righteousness and are unwilling to give him a second chance.
Scene I – In the town square by the seashore, a few days later
After most of the townspeople ignore his pleas for help, Ned Keene, the town apothecary, and Balstrode, a retired sea captain, help Grimes dock his boat. Keene tells Grimes that he has found a new apprentice for him. Ellen volunteers to go with Hobson the coachman to fetch the boy. When Balstrode announces an approaching storm, everyone heads home or to the “Boar Inn”, and Balstrode finds Grimes still working on his boat. Balstrode suggests that Grimes turn over a new leaf and marry Ellen, but Grimes rejects the offer and tells Balstrode of his plan to marry Ellen only after he has earned enough money and is treated with respect by the townspeople.
Scene II – At the Boar Inn, that night
A storm is raging outside. At the inn, everyone is preoccupied and restless. The situation worsens when the hysterical Mrs. Sedley, who is waiting for her sedatives, and the Methodist preacher, the drunken fisherman Bob Bowles arrive too. Grimes enters the inn and acts strangely. The townspeople wonder if he is drunk or out of his mind. After Keene calms the situation with a fisherman’s song, Ellen arrives with the new apprentice. They are offered refreshments, but Grimes does not let the boy dry off and warm up and immediately takes him to his isolated cabin despite the storm outside.
Scene I – Sunday, a few weeks later
Ellen and John, the new apprentice, are talking outside the town church as morning prayers are in full swing. Ellen discovers that the boy is bruised and his clothes are torn, and she suspects that Grimes did this to the boy. When Grimes arrives to take the boy fishing, Ellen claims that it is the boy’s day off. Grimes refuses to give up his day of work and they fight. Grimes beats Ellen and roughly takes the boy with him. Several people notice what is happening and the rumor that Grimes has “gone bad” again spreads throughout the town, prompting a group of men to go to Grimes’ cabin and question him.
Scene II – Grimes’ cabin
Grimes plans to go fishing. Just as he is about to leave, he hears the crowd approaching him. He urges the boy, John, to go out to the boat with him and warns him to be careful as they climb down the cliff to the boat, but the boy trips and falls to his death. When the men arrive at the cabin, they find it empty and disperse with great suspicion and curiosity.
Scene I – In the town square by the sea, a few nights later
A dance is being held in the town. For a moment, everyone seems to have forgotten about Grimes, except for Mrs. Sedley, who is eavesdropping on Ellen talking to Balstrode. Ellen tells him that Grimes’ apprentice’s jersey has washed ashore with the current, and Balstrode says that Grimes’ boat is anchored in the harbor. This information causes Mrs. Sedley to spur on the lawyer Swallow, who, together with Hobson, organizes the mob, who goes out to find Grimes in order to avenge him for his terrible deeds.
Scene II – On the beach
A foggy night. The cries of the crowd searching for Grimes can be heard from a distance. Ellen and Balstrode find Grimes by his boat: battered, wet, and on the verge of losing his mind. Balstrode tells Grimes that he would be better off sailing out to sea and drowning himself and his boat. In the morning, the townspeople wake up to a new day. Swallow reports a boat sinking in the middle of the sea, but no one pays any attention to it. The townspeople begin their daily routine.
Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes
Ellen Orford
Ellen Orford
Balstrode
Niece 1
Niece 1
Niece 2
Niece 2
Bob Boles
Auntie
Auntie
Swallow
Mrs. Sedley
Mrs. Sedley
Ned Keene
Hobson
Want to know more about the opera you’re going to see? Want to discover the secrets behind the scenes? Want to meet the artists after the performance? The Israeli Opera allows you to enhance your operatic experience with a variety of events before and after the performance.
An hour before each opera performance begins, a 30-minute introductory lecture is held in the auditorium. The lecture, given by representatives of the opera team, sometimes focuses on the opera and its historical background, sometimes on the musical aspects of the work, sometimes on the production itself, and allows viewers to receive additional information in preparation for watching the opera a short time before the performance begins.
The lecture begins one hour before the start of each opera performance.
Lecture length: 30 minutes.
Admission is free for opera ticket holders that day.
A pre-show lecture will be held about an hour before each show begins.
The performance is over. It’s already late. And yet the experience was exciting, challenging, moving. It’s time to meet some of the participants in an informal gathering. Come listen and share. Come ask questions. Come get to know the soloists up close. An extraordinary opportunity to get closer to the artists who just thrilled you on stage.
An Opera Talkback takes place at the end of the performance on the second level of the Opera House’s foyer.
Talkback duration: about half an hour.
The talkbacks take place several times during each production. Admission is free.
The talkbacks will take place immediately after the show on the following dates:
A unique experience: Being part of the preparations for curtain rise.
You know how there are moments that are just the right time? The hour and a half before the curtain rises is exactly that moment – when the house awakens to life, when the artists prepare, and when the stage transforms from an empty space into a world of magic.
Our special tour invites you to be part of this magical moment. You’ll see the house at its most vibrant – when the technicians do their final checks, when the lighting prepares to tell the story, when the production truly comes to life. This isn’t just a visit – it’s a glimpse into the living process of creating opera.
You’ll discover the hidden spaces of the house, meet the people behind the magic, and understand how every small detail becomes part of the grand creation. At the end of the tour, you’ll enter the auditorium already knowing the story of the place and ready to experience the performance in a completely new way.
A unique experience: Being part of the preparations for curtain rise.
Tour duration: 45 minutes of pure magic.
Timing: An hour and a quarter before the performance begins.
Advance ticket purchase required, limited tickets available at this Link
Seeing how magic is born is almost as beautiful as the magic itself
November-December 2026
