Sky Arts has commissioned Gods of the Game, a new opera about corruption in football to coincide with the 2022 World Cup.
The 90-minute piece will play at Grange Park on Thursday 6 October and will be seen later on Sky Arts (Freeview channel 11). It includes a ‘footy fan chorus’ recorded at a stadium—but not as publicity claims the world’s first, this having been done for We’re not really here, a 2017 folk opera about Manchester City.
Young Vic supremo Kwame Kwei-Armah directs the work written by Phil Porter, with music by Julian Philips, Aran O’Grady, Ábel M.G.E, Blasio Kavuma and Lucy Armstrong, who have scattered familiar snippets through the score. Let’s hope there is no problem with Messi-sopranos in the penalty aria.