This is a very confronting story, without the operatic music by John Adams. It’s based on the true events of 1985 when the Palestine Liberation Front hijacked a passenger liner and ended up killing a Jewish-American man, Leon Klinghoffer. Lots of controversy surrounded the original performances of this opera, particularly in the US. So for many fans of Adams, this UK performance was the only way to see it. I am so thrilled to see what a good job they have done of presenting it. The cinematography is entrancing and with Adams distinctive rhythmic counterpart it creates tension throughout the whole opera.