Angels on the Underground: screening and discussion

Angels on the Underground is coming to the London Transport Museum on Thursday 22 October, as a screening followed by a panel discussion. The evening centres on the chamber opera of the same name, which was commissioned by the Genesis Foundation with music by Will Todd and a libretto by the award-winning author Sally Gardner. It follows a young homeless man in crisis and works its way through themes of mental health, loneliness, community, hope and human connection. The piece premiered in 2025 at the Young Vic, conducted by Harry Christophers and performed by The Sixteen with a cast led by Zahid Siddiqui.

Behind the opera is Streetwise Opera, a company that co-creates ambitious opera with people who have experienced homelessness. That's the core of the whole thing: the people who've lived through the very things the story touches on are the ones helping to bring it to the stage. The screening is part of the museum's 'Transported by Culture' initiative, which champions the arts across London, and the discussion that follows is where the evening opens up. Chaired by mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston, the panel brings together creative practitioners and culture industry experts to talk about the arts' role in bringing overlooked voices into public conversation.

It's the kind of night that works best if you're interested in how art actually functions in the real world, rather than just as something to watch. You get the opera first, then the conversation about why it matters and who it's for. The whole thing takes place in the Cubic Theatre inside the museum, in Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 7BB. Doors open at 18:00 and the event starts at 19:00. Tickets are £18 for adults, £17 for concessions, and £14.40 for local residents, corporate members, and sponsors. London Transport Museum Friends get it for £16.20, and carers or companions go free.