Nothing (opera)

Nothing is a two-act opera by the British composer David Bruce to a libretto by Glyn Maxwell, based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Janne Teller.

On the first day back at school one September, a boy called Pierre walks out of the class, climbs a plum tree, and declares that ‘nothing matters’.

This starts with toys and clothes, but soon escalates monstrously: one girl’s hair – the national flag – the corpse of a pet – a figure of Jesus – until finally, with Pierre still claiming life is pointless – the children give up body and soul in a terrible spiral of sacrifice.

"[2] Rupert Christiansen in The Telegraph said "The audience was held rapt by a performance that by any standards exerted a chilling power and intensity.

"[4] The original production of Nothing was revived by the Danish National Opera in Aarhus, Denmark in February 2017, as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations.