The knife of dawn

The Knife of Dawn is a chamber opera by composer Hannah Kendall and librettist Tessa McWatt, centred on the Guyanese poet and political activist Martin Carter.

Set in his prison cell in 1953, the opera follows Carter on the twenty-eighth day of a hunger strike against British colonial rule. Poetry, memory and resistance intertwine in an intimate portrait of his struggle.

Doriene Marselje performed the harp part in Dutch National Opera’s March 2026 production at Studio Boekman. Directed by Gavin-Viano and conducted by Robert Kahn, the production featured baritone Sakhiwe Mkosana, singers from Cappella Amsterdam and instrumentalists from the Ragazze Quartet.