Anticipation was high at the Royal Opera House last night for the premiere of the much awaited and talked about The Wasp Factory.  No one knew what to expect from Ben Frost’s brave decision to turn Iain Banks’ dark and complex debut novel into an Opera and whether it could live up to the buzz surrounding the opening night.

The production did not disappoint. Ben Frost’s “haunting, electronica-infused score” (The Stage) and David Pountney’s masterful libretto turned Banks’ psychological horror into a bleak, macabre spectacle which captivated its audience:

‪@reesmf‪ The Wasp Factory ‪@RoyalOperaHouse was one of the most extraordinary and exciting performances that I have ever seen. Thoroughly recommended.

‪@eleanorbanks‪ Just saw ‪#waspfactory ‪@RoyalOperaHouse with ‪@jackmaninoff . Loved the amazing set. Great spectacle.

Doubts that the novel could not be translated into a opera were dispelled in what The Stage called, “An enterprising and uncompromising staging of a difficult story, this tense, vividly communicated and claustrophobic production is not for the faint-hearted.” Indeed, last night shocked and intrigued its audience, skillfully translating the novel’s combined horror and morbid fascination at a child killer’s inner world.

‪@stavvers‪ Just saw the Wasp Factory. Profoundly unsettling, deeply weird, and I’m not sure if I liked it, so I think it was a brilliant adaptation.
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@AlasdairGH‪ The Wasp Factory was easily the best piece of theatre I’ve seen. I’ve walked out feeling equally disturbed and turned on. I need a whisky

…don’t we all.

The last tickets are available are available here. The show runs until October 8th. Follow Ben Frost on twitter here.