Based on award-winning poet Carol Ann Duffy's book of poetry by the same name, The World's Wife reflects on historical and mythological stories. In the past, these stories were told primarily from the male perspective. This has had its impact on society. What have we learned from the Grimm brothers' fairy tales and Homer's mythical stories? And what have these meant for the characteristics we attribute to womanhood? Duffy turns it around. She describes the stories from the female perspective, finally giving female characters the assertive voice they deserve.
“Women don't get off very well in historical stories. That is a result of a male-dominated canon. … There is a great lack of (female) vocabulary that binds us.”
– Director Jorinde Keesmaat
Composer Tom W. Green composed the music for The World's Wife in collaboration with Duffy. Green wrote the chamber opera for soprano and string quartet and added loop pedals so the vocalist can play multiple characters simultaneously. A more inclusive feminine sound was chosen for the most recent version of The World's Wife. To this end, Green modified the vocal part so that the piece also comes into its own with a deep voice. Green also pays tribute in the piece to female composers who in the past did not receive the appreciation their music deserved.
