This September, Charing Cross Theatre presents a rare and atmospheric double bill of two one-act operas: The Seven Deadly Sins and The Human Voice. Running for only 10 performances from 11–19 September 2026, the evening brings together the music of Kurt Weill and Francis Poulenc in a production about ambition, identity, loneliness and the emotional cost of trying to survive. Tickets are available from the Charing Cross Theatre website: https://www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

1. It is a short season, so it feels like a special event

This is not a long West End run. The Seven Deadly Sins and The Human Voice will be performed for just 10 performances at Charing Cross Theatre, making it one of those productions that opera and theatre lovers will need to book quickly for. The run opens on Friday 11 September and continues until Saturday 19 September 2026, with a press night on Saturday 12 September at 7:30pm.

2. Two powerful stories are told in one evening

The evening brings together two very different but connected works. The Seven Deadly Sins follows Anna, a woman divided into two halves of one soul, as she travels through American cities trying to earn enough money for her family to build a house. The Human Voice is much more intimate: one woman, alone in her apartment, trying to hold herself together during a final phone call with a former lover.

3. It explores the pressure placed on women

What makes this double bill especially interesting is the way the two operas speak to each other. Both centre on women pushed to their emotional limits. In The Seven Deadly Sins, Anna is pulled between desire, duty and survival. In The Human Voice, Elle is trapped in the fragile space between hope and heartbreak. Together, they create what director Alejandro Bonatto describes as a continuous psychological portrait of a woman under pressure.

4. Katherine McIndoe takes centre stage

The production stars Katherine McIndoe, a New Zealand soprano whose credits include English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera, Glyndebourne Opera, New Zealand Opera and Green Opera. She has already performed the role of Elle in La voix humaine with Green Opera, for which she was a finalist for an Offie Award. This makes her return to the role at Charing Cross Theatre particularly exciting.

5. The music promises contrast and intensity

The Seven Deadly Sins, with music by Kurt Weill and words by Bertolt Brecht, brings a sharp mix of satire, Weimar cabaret and 1930s American jazz. The Human Voice, with music by Francis Poulenc and words by Jean Cocteau, is more stripped back and emotionally raw, following the broken rhythm of a phone conversation. Together, the two pieces should make for an evening that is stylish, unsettling and deeply human.

The Seven Deadly Sins and The Human Voice runs from Friday 11 to Saturday 19 September 2026 at Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NL. Tickets start from £25, with a student ticket price of £17.50 using the code STUDENT20. Age guidance is 12+.

Book tickets: https://www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk