Faust (The Royal Opera House)

Faust

October 1926 •German

God and Satan war over earth; to settle things, they wager on the soul of Faust, a learned and prayerful alchemist.

Alias Nick Beal

March 1949 •English

After straight-arrow district attorney Joseph Foster says in frustration that he would sell his soul to bring down a local mob boss, a smooth-talking stranger named Nick Beal shows up with enough evidence to seal a conviction. When that success leads Foster to run for governor, Beal's unearthly hold on him turns the previously honest man corrupt, much to the displeasure of his wife and his steadfast minister.

Faust

Invalid date •German

Faust, an old, bright but desperate man, struggles with the sense of his life. After trying all kinds of sciences he enters into a contract with the devil, Mephistopheles, to feel life, joy and desire again. Mephistopheles promises him to get full satisfaction by enjoying and celebrating all the worldly pleasures: outstanding parties, being young again, the love of a woman. To fulfill the pact, Faust offers him his soul after his death. Their journey begins and leaves many people in total despair...

Tenure

Invalid date •English

When a dedicated college professor is denied tenure, he turns to black magic in a moment of desperation but finds himself trapped in a private hell of his own making.

Faust's Other: An Idyll

January 1988 •English

“Faust Part 2” reveals the modern Faust in a romantic interlude, an idyll (from the Greek idein, "to see"); also, a journey of the id. A sense of story is inferred through the complex interweaving of human gesture, expression, and bodily movement within vibrantly shifting colours and rhythmic development, creating multiple levels of metaphorical meaning. A collaborative work with paintings by Emily Ripley and soundtrack by Joel Haertling.

Faust | ROH |

April 2019 •Spanish

Disillusioned with life, the aged philosopher Faust calls upon Satan to help him. The devil Méphistophélès appears and strikes a bargain with the philosopher: he will give him youth and the love of the beautiful Marguerite, if Faust hands over his soul. Faust agrees, and Méphistophélès arranges matters so that Marguerite loses interest in her suitor Siébel and becomes infatuated with Faust. Faust initially seems to love Marguerite in return, but soon abandons her. Her brother Valentin returns from the war and is furious to find his sister pregnant. Will Faust repent his destructive actions, and can his soul, and Marguerite's, be saved?

Faust

June 1985 •French

In an epic tale of good versus evil, Faust sells his soul to the Devil and tries to save Marguerite from an eternity in Hell.

Faustbook (20th Anniversary Director's Cut)

April 2025 •English

Inspired by Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and Goethe's Faust, Faustus develops an obsession with his namesake, Johann Georg Faust. As Faustus delves deeper into man and legend, he enters a labyrinthine realm.

The Ride to the Abyss

January 1992 •French

‘La course à l’abîme’ is a depiction of the final ride into hell from ‘La Damnation de Faust’ (1846) by Hector Berlioz.

Faust

September 2011 •German

A doctor in early 19th-century Germany becomes infatuated with the sister of a man he unintentionally killed and bargains with the Devil incarnate to conjure their union in exchange for his soul.

Salinger's Two Dark Muses

Invalid date •English

Vincent Salinger, an edgy uninspired poet, fumes at being spurned by his publisher. Suspecting his work and life mean nothing, Vincent seeks new inspiration. An unexpected visit from quasi-demonic friend of poetry introduces Vincent to a clever East-European escort girl who thinks up a literary hoax for success but at the risk of Vincent losing his integrity and identity. Things become more complicated when a rival muse falls in love with Vincent and Vincent's hoax suddenly materializes to haunt him.

A Fool's Gamble

March 2025 •English

Johann, dissatisfied with life, chooses to meet up with a mysterious man named Mephisto who may have the answer to what he desires.

Sound & Fury: Doc Faustus

January 2012 •English

John Faustus, frontier doctor, sells his soul for power, riches, and free health-care! But will he be able to control himself before he changes the space-time continuum?

Faust

September 1994 •Czech

A very free adaptation of Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus", Goethe's "Faust" and various other treatments of the old legend of the man who sold his soul to the devil. A nondescript man is lured by a strange map into a sinister puppet theatre, where he finds himself immersed in an indescribably weird version of the play, blending live actors, clay animation and giant puppets.

I Sold My Soul to Satan

August 2010 •English

REAL Zombies, Vampires, Witches and Demons - NOTHING is off limits in La La Land. Thousands of Hollywood hopefuls lineup around the block to be selected to strike a deal with Satan himself in order to achieve the unattainable stardom they so desperately seek. The turnout yields not only dedicated actors and musicians who can't get a break, but a legion of seemingly successful people willing to sign in blood not to attain immortality or world peace - but for material things like money, houses, cars and diamonds or even lesser things like a gun you never have to re-load. Ultimately, Kai Blackwood, an aspiring rock star is chosen and embarks on a nefarious path of real-life occult practices following the instructions laid out in the ancient book 'Le Grande Grimoire' and proceeds to LITERALLY sell his soul to the Devil.

666: In Bed with the Devil

February 2002 •German

Frank Faust is a born loser. At some point it even becomes too much for his great love, Jennifer, who leaves him and flees to Munich. Frank's desperation is the best reason for Mephisto to show up and offer a suitable pact: reconciliation with Jennifer in exchange for Frank's soul. Shaken by his predicament, Frank finds it easy to agree to the hellish proposal. In order to win back his renegade lover, Mephisto transforms himself into a wide variety of prominent contemporaries who appear at Frank's side and publicly praise his qualities - especially for Jennifer to hear. The plan seems to be working perfectly, unless Mephisto suddenly reveals a completely new side to his personality...

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Faust I

February 2001 •German

Faust's House

January 1977 •Czech

A film story based on the old Prague legends. It tells about a poor student lured by wealth, which he prefers to knowledge. In the end, he sells his soul to the evil powers. The Devil takes him to hell and since then there is a blackened hole on the ceiling of a Prague house.

Faustbook

April 2006 •English

A troubled mortician embarks on an odyssey for truth about life and death.

Opening Night

February 1933 •English

Cubby the Bear sneaks into the Roxy Opera House on it's opening night and ends up condicting an epic, animal-enacted version of Faust.