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Acclaimed actor Christopher Kent (Bob in Things I Know to Be True) makes a welcome return to OSO with his bravura solo performance of Shakespeare's Venus & Adonis. He is accompanied once more by regular recital partner, the virtuoso classical pianist Gamal Khamis. In their latest collaboration they present a rare opportunity to hear one of Shakespeare's most ravishing early solo works, interspersed with selections from Mendelssohn's hauntingly beautiful Songs Without Words.

When Venus, goddess of love, comes across handsome young Adonis hunting in the woods, she immediately falls in love. But when he rejects her advances and sets off in pursuit of the deadly wild boar, what starts as light-hearted comedy pivots towards heart-rending tragedy. Shakespeare's narrative poem, based on Ovid's classic tale, was a runaway success when it first appeared in 1593 and was the first work he had published in his own name.

Christopher Kent's adaptation of Venus & Adonis, first commissioned for Stratford's 2025 Shakespeare in Music Festival, is an acting tour de force. Virtuoso pianist Gamal Khamis punctuates the poem with Mendelssohn's poignantly lyrical music as these two outstanding artists once again create a rich, enchanting and compelling narrative.