The legend of Cassandra tells of a prophet given the ability to see the future by the god Apollo. Refusing to succumb to his seduction however, Apollo spits in her mouth, condemning her never to be believed, even though her prophesies all remain true. This new opera from the former Director of La Monnaie and the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Bernard Foccroulle, contrasts the story of Cassandra with that of a modern climate change scientist, Sandra. The libretto is by Canadian writer and director Matthew Jocelyn. Sandra tries to persuade people of the climate emergency though humour, using a stand-up comedy performance. She is criticised initially by a new boyfriend, Blake, for making light of the crisis, and then by her parents for overstating the risks and ignoring the business potential for mining that thinner ice might bring. Eventually Blake is killed protesting on an ice ship, and Sandra's younger sister, Naomi, gives birth to a child, for whom no doubt the future of the planet is uncertain. Sandra meets (in her dreams) Cassandra and they both mourn their fate as prophets of doom that none believes.

The opera was intelligently done, and in it's way entertaining. As a way of drawing attention to it's subject matter it was clever, although to be honest Sandra's parents were a cliche of climate change deniers. The opera switches between scenes of ancient Greece involving Cassandra, Apollo, Cassandra's father, King Priam, and the destruction of Troy, to the modern day with Sandra and Blake's flat, her parents dining room, and public stages on which Sandra is giving speeches. The set includes scenes depicting the heart of a glacier, and a beehive, with interspersions of swarming bees. Musically not hugely interesting, but it held your attention. The opera has been criticised in some reviews for being overly complex and a little confused, but I enjoyed it.